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'THESE ARE THE WORDS WHICH THE LORD HATH COMMANDED, THAT YE SHOULD DO THEM." 
(Frontispiece.) Exodus XXXV. 1. 



r i i i : 



BIBLE PANORAMA 



OR 



The Holy Scripttires in Pi(Mire and Story. 

ARRANGED FOR Tl ENTERTAINMENT OP CHILDREN. AS WELL AS OLDER PERSONS; 

ILLt THE PK VENTS OP THE OL: .EW TESTAMENTS. 

WITH DESCRIPTIONS OP THEM IN I > >RD8. 




ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY FULL-PAGE VIEWS. 



PUBLISHED BY THE 

CHARLES FOSTER PUBLISHING < 

PHILADELPHIA 



> 



&% 




Preface. 



PICTURES speak through the eye to tlie understanding and the heart, and impress 
upon the mind far more deeply than mere words can do the stirring incidents 
of sacred history. 

So far as it is possible to produce a "Bible Panorama" in the form of a book is done 
in this volume, and nearly all the principal events of both the Old and New Testaments, 
which are suitable for illustration, will be found graphically portrayed upon its spacious 
pages. 

There will also be found, facing the pictures, full descriptions of the scenes which 
they represent. These are in the form of short stories, which include the occurrences 
leading up to or following the events illustrated. They are necessarily brief, but con- 
form closely to the Bible narrative. They are also written in easy words and printed in 
large, plain type, so as to be readily understood by children. 

The descriptive pages supply in a measure the lecturer's part of such an entertain- 
ment as this book is intended to typify; and it is hoped that they, together with the 
one hundred and fifty beautiful views, will form a Bible Panorama for the home 
complete in itself, which can be opened at all times, and may be found ever ready to 
afford amusement and instruction for both young and old. 



ill I 




^^i;!l!:i:!iiiiil l i'iii!i::i^^;;ii^fe^^^'' 



1[|]I^I!^1I''WM|I|]1JBP 



COPYRIGHT 1891, BY W. A. FOSTER. 






i\i)i:\ of Pictures. 



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■ • "■ 
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INDEX OF PICTURES. 



PAGE 

69 



The return of the spies 

Destruction of Korah, Dathan and Abiram 71 

Moses sets up a serpent of brass 73 

An angel stands before Balaam 75 

The angel of the Lord appears to Joshua 77 

The walls of Jericho fall down 79 

Joshua saves the life of Rahab 81 

Achan is stoned 83 

The children of Israel take Ai 85 

The Lord casts down stones upon the Amorites 87 

Deborah tells the people to fight against Sisera 89 

Jael smites a nail into the temple of Sisera 91 

Gideon chooses the men who lap the water 93 

Abimelech is slain by his armor-bearer 95 

Jephthah's daughter comes out to meet him 97 

The daughter of Jephthah and her companions 98 

Samson Mils a lion with his hands alone 101 

Samson and Delilah 103 

Samson breaks down the pillars 105 

Naomi and her daughters-in-law 107 

Ruth gleans in the fields of Boaz 109 

The messengers bring to Job evil tidings Ill 

Job's three friends come to see him 113 



Jonah is cast out by the fish 11 



Jonah prophesies in the streets of Nineveh 117 

The ark of the Lord is seen 119 

Samuel anoints Saul king 121 

Samuel hews Agag in pieces 123 

David kills Goliath 125 

Saul casts a javelin to kill David 127 

Michal lets David down from a window 129 

Death of Saul and his armor-bearer 131 

David fights against heathen kings 133 

The death of Absalom 135 

David mourns for Absalom 137 

Two women come to Solomon for judgment 139 

Cedar and fir trees are brought for the temple 1-41 

The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon 143 

King Solomon 145 

The prophet from Judah is slain by a lion 147 

Elijah raises the son of the widow 149 

6 



INDEX OF PICTURES. 

PAGE 

Elijah escapes to the wilderness 151 

Death of King Ahab 153 

Elijah is carried up into Heaven 155 

Children mock Elisha and bears tear them 157 

The famine in Samaria 159 

Jezebel is thrown down out of a window 161 

Finding 1 the remains of Jezebel 163 

The Prophet Amos 165 

The people of Israel mourn 167 

The Prophet Isaiah 169 

Athaliah is slain 171 

The angel of the Lord smites the Assyrians 173 

The Prophet Micah warns the people 175 

Baruch writes the prophecy of Jeremiah 177 

The sons of King Zedekiah are slain 179 

The destruction of Jerusalem 181 

Ezekiel prophesies to the people 183 

Ezekiel's vision of the dry bones i 185 

Daniel 187 

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the furnace 189 

Daniel interprets the writing on the wall 191 

Daniel in the den of lions 193 

Cyrus restores the vessels of the temple 195 

The Jews rebuild the temple 197 

Artaxerxes grants liberty to the Jews 199 

Queen Vashti refuses to obey the King 201 

Mordecai rides upon the King's horse , . 203 

Queen Esther accuses Haman 205 

Nehemiah goes to the walls of Jerusalem 207 

A mother and her sons are put to death 209 

Death of Eleazar , ' 210 

The Maccabees flee to the mountains 213 

The Jews drive out the idolators 214 

The angel Gabriel appears to Mary 217 

Jesus is born in Bethlehem 219 

The wise men follow the star 221 

Herod causes the children to be slain 223 

The flight into Egypt 224 

Jesus in the temple 225 

The daughter of Herodias 227 

Jesus is tempted by Satan 229 

7 



INDEX OF PICTURES. 

PAGE 

The marriage feast in Cana 231 

Jesus drives out the money changers 232 

Jesus teaches the people • ■ 233 

Jesus talks with a woman of Samaria 235 

The miraculous draught of fishes 237 

Jesus cures the leper , • ■ ■ 239 

Jesus heals the sick 240 

The disciples pluck the corn 241 

The people follow Jesus and he teaches them . ■ 243 

Jesus raises the daughter of Jairus 245 

The apostles go forth to preach 247 

Jesus feeds the multitude 249 

The transfiguration 251 

The Good Samaritan and the wounded man 253 

The Good Samaritan comes to an inn 254 

Jesus at the house of Mary and Martha , , 255 

Jesus brings forth Lazarus alive 257 

The prodigal son 259 

Lazarus, the beggar 261 

The Pharisee and the Publican 263 

Jesus enters Jerusalem 265 

The widow's mite 267 

The tribute money 269 

The last supper 271 

Jesus is betrayed by Judas 273 

Jesus is brought out to the people by Pilate , 275 

Jesus is mocked 277 

Simon of Cyrene carries the cross . 279 

Jesus is crucified . 280 

Raising the cross . , 281 

The descent from the cross 283 

Jesus is buried 284 

The angel at the sepulchre 285 

The walk to Emmaus . , 287 

Jesus ascends into Heaven 289 

The Holy Spirit descends upon the apostles 291 

Peter cures a lame man 293 

Stephen is cast out of the city and stoned 295 

Saul goes to Damascus 297 

Paul preaches at Ephesus 299 

The people rise up against Paul 301 

Paul preaches to the Jews of Rome 303 




Bible Panorama 



PART I. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT. 




God Makes the World. 

S~Y OD first made the world ; it did not look as it does now, for there was nothing 
V_X living on it — no men, or animals, or birds ; and there was nothing growing 
on it— no trees, or bushes, or flowers; but it was all lonely and dark everywhere. 

Then God made the light. He said, Let there be light ; and the light came. 
And God saw the light and was pleased with it, and he gave the light a name ; 
he called it Day. And when the day was gone and the darkness came again to 
stay for a little while, he called that darkness Night. God did these things on 
the first day. 

And God made the clouds, and he made the sky above the world where the 
clouds should be ; and he gave the sky a name ; he called it Heaven. God did this 
on the second day. 

And God said that the waters should go into one place by themselves; and 
when they had gone into that one place, and were very deep and wide there, God 
gave the waters a name ; he called them Seas, and the dry land he called Earth. 
And God made the grass to grow up out of the earth, and the bushes and the trees 
that have fruit on them. And the grass and the bushes and the trees were to bear 
seeds so that, when those seeds were planted in the ground, some more grass, or 
other bushes or trees would grow there. God did these things on the third day. 

And God made two great lights, the sun to shine in the day, and the moon 
to shine in the night; he made the stars also. And he set the sun and the 
moon and the stars up in the sky, where we see them now. God did this on 
the fourth day. 

And he made the great whales, and all the fishes that swim about in the sea ; 
and the birds also, some to fly over the water and swim upon it and live near it, 
like ducks and geese ; and some to live all the time upon the land and in the woods, 
like eagles, robins, pigeons, and wrens. God made these on the fifth day. 

And God made the animals, those that are wild and that live out in the forest, 

such as elephants, lions, tigers, and bears ; and those that are tame and useful to 

men, and that live where men live, such as horses, oxen, cows, and sheep. And 

he made the little insects that creep on the ground, and the flies that fly about 

in the air. 

10 




GOD SAID, LET THERE BE LIGHT : AND THERE WAS LIGHT. 

11 



Genesis I. 3. 



God Makes Mak 

SOD made man out of the dust that lies on the ground ; and he breathed into 
him, and then the man breathed, and moved, and was alive. And God 
spoke kindly to him, and told him that he should be master over the fish of the 
sea, the birds of the air, and over every thing that was living on the earth. And 
God told man that the fruit which grew on the trees and on the bushes should be 
his food. To the animals were given the grass and the leaves of the bushes to eat. 

And God looked at all the things he had made, and was pleased with them ; 
and this was the sixth day. 

God planted a garden for the man he had made. It was called the garden of 
Eden ; in that garden God made to grow every tree that was beautiful to look at, 
and that bore fruit good to eat. A river flowed through the garden and watered it. 

And God took Adam, the man he had made, and put him into the garden to 
take care of it ; God told him he might eat of the fruit of every tree in the garden 
except one ; that one was called the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God 
said he must not eat of that tree, for if he did eat of it he should surely die. 

And God said it was not good that the man should be alone, therefore God made 
some one to be with him and help him. He caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep ; 
and while he was sleeping, God took out of his side a piece of bone, and of that bone 
he made a woman. And God brought the woman he had made to Adam, and she 
was his wife. 

And all the animals and the birds came to Adam ; God sent them to him that 
he might give them their names, and whatever Adam called each one was its 
name. 

rJow there was a serpent in the garden of Eden. And the serpent spoke to the 

woman, yet not of itself; but Satan, that wicked Spirit who comes into our hearts 

and tempts us to sin, went into the serpent and tempted the woman to sin. The 

serpent asked her, Has God said you shall not eat of every tree in the garden? The 

woman answered that they might eat of all the trees except one, but of it God had 

commanded them not to eat, lest they should die. Then the serpent told her they 

should not die, and that God had forbidden them to eat of the tree because it would 

make them wise. 

12 




ADAM AND EVE IX THE GARDEN OF EDEN. 



13 



Genesis II. 22. 



Adam and Eve aee Driven Out of the Garden. 




VE listened to what the serpent said, and when she saw that the tree was 
beautiful to look at, and that the fruit seemed good to eat, and remem- 
bered that the serpent had said it would make her wise, she took some of the 
fruit and did eat of it, and gave also to her husband and he did eat. 

After they had eaten they heard a voice in the garden; they knew it was 
God's voice, yet they did not come when they heard it. They were afraid, and 
hid themselves among the trees. But God spoke again, and called to Adam, 
saying, Where art thou? Adam answered, I heard thy voice in the garden, and 
I was afraid and hid myself. And God said, Hast thou eaten of the tree I com- 
manded thee not to eat of? Then Adam began to make excuse, and blame the 
woman; he said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of 
the fruit, and I did eat. And God said to the woman, What is this that thou 
hast done? The woman answered, The serpent deceived me, and I did eat. 

And God was angry with Adam and the woman, and with the serpent. 

The serpent, he said, should be punished by having to crawl on the ground, 

with its mouth in the dust, all the days of its life. He told the woman also, 

she should have sickness and sorrow. And God drove Adam and his wife out 

of the beautiful garden, and would let them live there no longer. And he sent 

cherubim, or angels, that kept watch, and a fiery sword that turned every way, 

to prevent them from going into the garden again. And to Adam God said, 

that because he had listened to his wife's voice, and eaten of the tree which the 

Lord commanded him not to eat of, the ground should not any more bear fruit 

for him by itself, and without his labor, as it used to do in the garden of Eden, 

but it should send up thorns and thistles. And Adam would have to work 

very hard, as long as he lived, to raise food to eat; and when he should die, 

God said, his body would go back to dust again, like the dust out of which the 

Lord had made him. 

14 




ADAM AND EVE EAT OF THE FORBIDDEN" FRUIT, AND ARE DRIVEN OUT OF THE GARDEN. 

15 Genesis III. 24. 



Cain and Abel. 

7TLTH0UGH God punished Adam and Eve for their disobedience, and said, 
<^- In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the 
ground, yet God prepared a way for Adam and his wife to be saved from any 
more punishment after they should be dead. They could not be saved from 
sorrow and trouble while they were living in this world, but after they should 
die, and their souls should go into the next world, God prepared a way for 
them not to be punished there. And this was the way: He promised to send 
a Saviour w ho would be punished in their ' place ; so that, if Adam and his wife 
repented of their sin and believed in that Saviour, they would be forgiven, 
and, after they died, taken up to heaven, where they would be as happy as if 
they had never sinned at all. And this Saviour was not to be punished for 
them alone, but for their children also. For since Adam and his wife had 
sinned and made their own hearts wicked, their children would have wicked 
hearts too ; because children must be of the same nature as their parents. 

Adam gave his wife a name; he called her Eve. And God made coats for 
them out of the skins of animals. 

After they had been driven out of the garden of Eden, God gave Adam and 

Eve two sons; the elder one was named Cain, the younger one Abel. When 

they grew up to be men, Cain was a farmer or gardener; Abel was a shepherd 

and kept a flock of sheep. And they both had wicked hearts, like their 

parents, which often caused them to sin. But Abel repented of his sins, and 

believed the promise which God had made to send a Saviour. And one day he 

brought a lamb from his flock and offered it to God. The way he offered it 

was to kill it first, and then burn it on an altar. An altar was a pile of stones, 

or earth, with a flat top, heaped up as high as a table. He put some "wood on 

this altar, all cut and ready to burn; then laid the lamb, after it was killed, 

on the wood; next he set fire to the wood, and that burned up the lamb, so 

there was nothing left on the altar but ashes. 

16 




CAIX AXD ABEL BRIXG THEIR OFFERINGS TO GOD. 

17 



Genesis IV. 3. 



Cain Kills Abel. 



/^YOD was pleased that Abel should worship him by offering a lamb from 
V_I his flock, because the lamb that he brought was like the Saviour that 
God had promised. It was gentle and patient, and innocent, like him; and 
when Abel killed it, and offered it on the altar, it seemed like that Saviour who 
was coming, after many years, to die for his sins. The lamb meant the Saviour, 
or represented him, and therefore God was pleased with Abel and his offering. 

But Cain did not repent of his sins, nor believe God's promise to send a 
Saviour; and when he brought his offering it was not a lamb, but some fruit, 
or grain, taken out of the field, or from the trees of his garden; and God was 
not pleased with Cain or his offering. When Cain saw this, he was angry, and 
showed plainly, by his looks, that he was angry with God. Yet God spoke 
kindly to him, and asked why he was angry. If Cain did right, God said, he 
would be pleased with him; and if he did not do right, the fault was his own. 

And Cain hated Abel, because God was pleased with Abel's offering, but 
not with his. And one day when they were out in the field together, he rose 
up and killed him; and the blood ran out of Abel's wounds and sank into the 
ground. After Cain had done this, God spoke to him, and said, Where is Abel, 
thy brother? Cain answered, I know not. Am I my brother's keeper? Yet 
God saw all that Cain had done, and now, he said, as a punishment for killing 
Abel, Cain should be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; that is, he should 
flee about the earth from one place to another as a person who was always 
afraid, and who had no home to stay in. 

God said, also, that when Cain planted anything out in the field, to bear 

food, it should not grow well. It would die, or briars and -weeds would come 

up and choke it, or it would bear leaves, but no fruit; so that Cain would 

have hardly enough to eat. Then Cain said, that as God had driven him away 

and would no longer take care of him, every one who should meet him would 

want to kill him. But God said that whoever killed Cain, should be punished 

with a very dreadful punishment; for God chose to punish Cain himself, and 

not that any man should punish him. 

18 




CAIN RISES UP AGAINST ABEL HIS BROTHER AND KILLS HIM. 

19 



Genesis IV. 8. 



The Flood. 



7VFTER a long while, when there came to be many more people living in 
.^jL the world, they grew very wicked. Their hearts were filled with sinful 
thoughts and all their acts were evil, for they did not care to please God, or 
even try to obey him. Therefore God was angry with them, and said he would 
punish them by sending a flood that should cover the earth with deep "water, 
and drown all the people, the animals, the birds, and everything that lived npon 
the ground. For almost all the people in the world were very -wicked, and yet 
not quite all; there was one good man "whose name "was Noah. The Bible tells 
us he "was a just man, and that he -walked with God. 

And God commanded ]SToah to build an ark. This "was a great boat, and God 
told Noah that when it was finished, he and his sons and their -wives should 
go into it. And he commanded Noah to take in with him some of every kind 
of beast, and of every kind of bird, and of every kind of insect, to keep them 
alive while the flood should be on the earth. 

After the ark was built, the Bible says the windows of heaven "were opened ; 
this means that the rain came down not only in little drops, as we see it 
come, but it came as if poured out of great "windows up in the sky. It rained 
forty days and forty nights, and the springs, the creeks, the rivers and the 
great ocean, all began to rise up and overflow the land. After a "while the 
"water came to "where the ark was, underneath and around it; it rose higher 
and higher till the ark floated and "was lifted up from the place where Noah 
had been building it so long, and the ground everywhere began to be covered. 

What now were those men to do "who "would not obey God, nor listen to 

the preaching of Noah ? Before the rain came they thought there -would be no 

flood, and that Noah wanted only to make them afraid. Now the flood had 

come, and they saw that all he had told them was true. How glad they would 

have been to go into the ark, but it was too late. No doubt they climbed up 

to the highest places on the hills and mountains; but the hills and mountains 

"were covered at last; there "was no other place for them to go, and all the 

people in the world, except those few in the ark, were drowned. And every 

beast and bird and little insect, except those in the ark, were drowned also. 

Then all the earth was covered with water. There was no land to be seen 

anywhere ; only the ark could be seen floating alone, with the water all around 

it and the sky above. 

20 




THE WATERS ARE DEEP UPON THE EARTH, AND EVEN THE TOPS OF THE MOUNTAINS ARE COVERED. 

91 <;i m BI8 VII, 1:1. 



Noah Comes Out of the Abe. 



7VFTER Noah had "been in the ark a hundred and fifty days, the waters were 
Jy\. gone down so much that the ark rested on the top of a mountain called 
Ararat. There it stood, resting on the top of the mountain, for more than two 
months. By that time the waters were lower still, and the tops of other moun- 
tains could he seen peeping ahove them. 

And Noah opened the window of the ark and let a raven go ; and the 
raven flew about over the water and roosted at night on the tops of the moun- 
tains, or on the roof of the ark, but never came back to Noah again. Then 
Noah sent out another bird; it was a dove. He sent it that it might fly off 
and see whether the waters had left the ground dry yet. But they had not 
left it dry. Although the tops of the mountains were not covered, the rest of 
the ground was; and the dove found no pleasant place with trees and flowers, 
where she would like to stay away from her mate ; so she came back to the. 
window of the ark, and Noah put out his hand and took her in. 

Then Noah waited seven days longer and sent her out again, and in the 
evening she came back to him as before, but this time with a leaf in her mouth, 
plucked off from an olive tree. When Noah saw the leaf, he knew that the 
waters must have gone down greatly, or the dove could not have found it. 
God had taught the dove to pluck that leaf and carry it to Noah, so that he 
might know the ground would soon be dry. And he waited another seven days. 
and sent the dove forth once more; but she did not come back to him again.. 
For by this time no doubt the woods were pleasant to fly about in, much 
pleasanter than the ark where she had been shut up so long. And beside, God 
kept the dove from going back to Noah, so that he might be sure it was almost 
time for him to come out of the ark. 

And Noah looked and saw that the ground was dry. And God spoke to 
him, and told him to come out of the ark, and to bring out also, his wife and 
his sons and their wives, and the animals, the birds, and the insects, that had 
been in the ark with him. So Noah came out and brought every living thing,, 

and they walked on the dry ground. 

22 




THE WATERS GO DOWN AND THE ARK RESTS UPON THE .MOUNTAINS OF ARARAT. 

23 '■! NTB8I8 VIII. 4. 



The Confusion of Tongues. 



i 



N the years that passed, after the waters of the flood had gone away, God 
gave to Noah's sons children of their own. They, when they grew np, had 
children too, so that after a while there came to be a great many people 
in the world once more. 

Now we should think that these people would have been very careful not 
to offend God. They knew how the men who had offended him before were 
punished, and though God had promised never to send another flood, there 
were many other ways in which he might punish them. He might send sick- 
ness upon them, or give them no food, and leave them to starve ; or he might 
send down fire from heaven to burn them. But they seemed to forget this, and 
as their hearts were -wicked, they went on as the men before the flood had 
done, sinning against him. 

There was only one language in the world then. The people all talked 
alike, and could all understand each other; and as they journeyed from the 
east they came to a plain in the land of Shinar, and stopped there. And they 
said one to another, Let us make brick and build a tower whose top may reach 
up to heaven. And they began to build it. We are not told why they wanted 
to build this tower. But God, who saw their hearts, knew that it was for 
some wicked purpose. Perhaps they did not believe God's promise, that he 
"would never send another flood on the earth, and thought, if he should send 
one, this tower would be so high that the waters could not overflow it, and 
they would climb up into it and be safe. Or perhaps they built it as a sort 
of temple, or church, not to worship God in, but idols. 

And the Lord came down from heaven to see the tower which the people 
were building, and he saw it and was displeased. Then he did a wonderful 
thing to stop them. He made them, all at once, begin to speak in different 
languages, such as they had never spoken before. They could not go on 
building now, because they were not able to understand each other's words. 
Therefore they had to cease building before the tower was done. 

The tower which they tried to build, but which God would not allow them 

to finish, was called the tower of Babel. Babel means confusion. When the 

people began to talk in different languages, so that they could not understand 

each other, it made confusion there. 

24 




THE PEOPLE BUILD A TOWER, AND GOD MAKES THEM SPEAK IN" DIFFERENT LANGUAGES. 

9- Genesis XI. 7. 



Abbaham and Lot come into the Land of Canaan. 



¥ANY years after the people had tried to build the tower of Babel, there 
lived in the land of Ur a man named Abraham. The people of that 
land worshipped idols. And God told Abraham to leave his home and 
his relations, and go to another land which he would show him. 

Abraham was seventy-five years old: and he took his wife, whose name 
was Sarah, and his brother's son, whose name was Lot, and they started to go 
to the land of Avhich God had told him. 

After journeying for a long time, Abraham came to the land of Canaan, 
and lived there. Lot had gone away from Abraham to live on the plain of 
Jordan. And some cities were there; one of them was named Sodom. The 
men of Sodom were very wicked, yet Lot went to live in that city. 

Abraham was sitting one day at his tent-door, in the hot part of the day. 
And he looked up and saw three men standing near him. Then he ran out to 
meet them and bowed down before them toward the ground, for so they used 
to welcome strangers in that land. And Abraham made haste into the tent to 
Sarah, his wife, and told her to bake some cakes quickly. And he ran to the 
herd and brought a calf that was tender and good, and had it killed. Then he 
took butter and milk, and the calf that had been cooked, and set it before the 
men, and they did eat. After they had eaten, they rose up and went toward 
the city of Sodom, and Abraham walked with them. 

And yet, although we call them men, these three persons were not men. 
Two of them, we believe, were angels, and the other one was the Lord. You 
may ask, Could it be the Lord -who looked and talked like a man? Yes, for he 
could come down to this world in the form of a man. We read in the Bible, 
several times, of his coming, and staying for a little while, and speaking to men. 

And now the Lord was going to send his angels to burn up Sodom and 
Gomorrah, because the people who lived there were so wicked. And he "was 
willing to tell Abraham what he would do ; for Abraham loved God, and obeyed 
him, and taught his family to obey him. 

Abraham feared that Lot, who lived in Sodom, might be burned up also, 

and he spoke to the Lord, and said, that perhaps there were some righteous 

persons living in the city, and he asked whether the righteous should be 

destroyed with the wicked. The Lord said that if there were but ten righteous 

persons in Sodom he would not destroy it. 

26 




WHILE ABRAHAM TS SITTING AT THE DOOR OF TITS TENT HE SEES THREE MEN. 

97 rasis xvm. 2. 



Sodom is Burked by Fire from Heayek 

T OT was sitting at the gate of Sodom in the evening ; and two angels came 

J X. there, but they looked like men. They were, we suppose, the same that 

had been with the Lord at Abraham's tent. When Lot saw them he rose up 
to meet them, and bowed down with his face toward the ground. And he 
asked them to come into his house and stay there all night, and in the 
morning, he said, they should go on their journey. They answered, ISTo, we 
will stay in the street all night. But Lot begged them, until they consented; 
so they came, and he set out food for them, and they did eat. 

Afterward they asked whether he had any sons or daughters in the city, 
beside those who were with him in the house; if he had, the angels said, he 
should go and take them out of Sodom, for the Lord had sent them to destroy 
it. Then Lot "went and found his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, 
and said to them, Up, get you out of this place, for the Lord will destroy the 
city. But they -would not believe his words, and Lot "went back to his own 
home without them. 

When it "was morning the angels said to him, Arise, take thy -wife, and thy 
two daughters, and make haste away, lest you be burned up with the "wicked 
people of the city. And because Lot stayed a little "while, perhaps to save 
something out of his house, the angels caught hold of his hand, and of his 
-wife's hand, and of his two daughters 1 hands, and brought them out of Sodom. 
After they -were brought out, they "were commanded not to stay near, nor go 
slowly away, but to go very quickly, that they might not be burned. They 
were commanded not even to look behind them, but to make haste to the 
mountain where the fire could not reach them. 

Lot and his daughters fled toward another city called Zoar, but his wife 
looked back toward Sodom, "which she had been commanded not to do, and she 
died there, because she looked back; and she was turned into a pillar of salt. 
But Lot came to Zoar, he and his daughters. 

Then the Lord rained down fire and brimstone out of heaven upon Sodom 
and Gomorrah, and destroyed those cities, and all the plain "where they stood, 

and the people who lived in them, and the things which grew on the ground. 

28 




LOT AND TTT* D.\T T OHTER3 ESCAPE FRO^r SODOM, BUT EIS WIPE LOOKS BACK 

2g Genesis xix. 26. 



Abraham sekds away Hagar and Ishmael. 

7VBRAHAM had moved away to a part of the land . of Canaan named Gerar, 
-(^- where a people called the Philistines lived. The king of Gerar gave 
Abraham a present of sheep and oxen, and also men-servants, and maid- 
servants, to wait on him and work for him. And the king told Abraham he 
might live in any part of the land he chose. 

And God gave to Abraham and Sarah a son ; Abraham called his name 
Isaac. Abraham was one hundred years old when Isaac "was born; and he and 
Sarah were glad, because God had given them a son. And the child grew, and 
when he came to be a larger boy, Abraham made him a feast. 

One day Sarah saw Ishmael, Hagar's son, mocking Isaac. Therefore Sarah 
was displeased with Ishmael, and she asked Abraham to send him and his 
mother away. But Abraham did not "wish to send them away, and it troubled 
him when Sarah asked him to do this. Then God spoke to Abraham and told 
him to do as Sarah had said. So he rose up early in the morning, and when he 
had given Hagar some bread, and a bottle of water, putting this on her shoulder, 
he sent her and her son away. 

Then Hagar took her boy and went into the wilderness. And "when all 
the "water in the bottle was gone, and they had no more to drink, the child 
grew "weak, and Hagar thought he would die. So she laid him down and "went 
a little "way off and wept, for she did not want to see her boy die. And God 
heard her -weeping; and the angel of God called to her out of heaven and said, 
"What aileth thee, Hagar? Then the angel told her not to be afraid, but to lift 
up Ishmael from the place where she had laid him, and to hold him in her arms. 

And God showed her a well of "water that "was there in the "wilderness, and 

she "went to it and filled the bottle and gave her son drink, and he became 

strong and well again. After this God -was kind to Ishmael, and he grew and 

lived in the wilderness and was an archer ; he shot with, a bow and arrow. And 

his mother took a wife for him out of the land of Egypt, where she used to live. 

30 




HAGAR AND ISHMAEL WANDER IX THE WILDERNESS AND HAVE NO WATER. 

01 (il.s B9IS X X I. I"). 



God commands Abraham to offer up Isaac. 



ONE day God spoke to Abraham, and said, Abraham. He answered, Here 
am I. Then God said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom 
thou lovest, and get thee unto the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a 
burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I ^vill tell thee of. Yes, 
Abraham was commanded to offer up Isaac upon an altar; to kill him and lay 
him on the ^vood, and let him be burned up, as if he had been a lamb. How 
could Abraham do this? How could he kill his own dear son? Yet God told 
him to do it; Abraham heard him speak. He knew that he should do whatever 
God said, and he knew also that even if Isaac were killed and burned on the 
altar, so that nothing was left but his ashes, God could take those ashes and 
make him alive again as he had been before. 

So Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his ass and took 
two young men, who were his servants, with him, and the wooxL, ready 
cut to lay on the altar, and Isaac his son; and he started to go to the 
mountain which God had told him of. And he journeyed that day and 
the next, and did not come to the place; but on the day after, he looked up 
and saw it a good way off. Then he told the young men they need go 
no farther. He and Isaac, Abraham said, "would go to the mountain and 
-worship and come back to them again; for he did not -wish them to see him 
offer up his son. And he left the ass "with the young men, but took Isaac "with 
him, and Isaac carried the "wood. Abraham took some fire also to light 
the wood, and he carried a knife in his hand; and he and Isaac "went on 
together. 

And they came to the place which God had told him of; there Abraham 

built an altar and laid the "wood on it. And he bound Isaac and laid him on 

the wood ; and Abraham put out his hand and took hold of the knife to kill his 

son. But just then the angel of the Lord called to him out of heaven, and said 

Abraham, Abraham. He answered, Here am I. And the angel told him not to 

hurt Isaac, for now he knew that Abraham feared God, because he was willing 

to offer up his only son when God commanded him. And Abraham looked 

and saw behind him a ram caught fast in the bushes by its horns. God had 

sent it there for a burnt offering instead of Isaac; and Abraham took it and 

killed it, and offered it up on the altar. 

32 




ABRAHAM AXD ISAAC GO TOGETHER TO THE PLACE OF SACRIFICE. 

QQ I .1 NKSIS XXII. It. 



Sarah Dies and is Buried. 



/>OD was pleased -with Abraham for having shown that he was ready to 
V_X obey him, and the angel of the Lord spoke to him again out of heaven, 
and told him that because he had been -willing to offer up his son Isaac, God 
would bless him. And the angel promised him that his descendants should be 
like the grains of sand on the sea-shore, which no one can count, there are so 
many of them. 

After these things Abraham left Beer-sheba and came to Hebron. And 
Sarah, Abraham's -wife, -was a hundred and twenty-seven years old, and she died 
there in the land of Canaan. Then Abraham mourned and wept for her. And 
he spoke to the people of that country, and asked them for a place where he 
might bury Sarah. They answered that he might bury her in any of their 
sepulchres that he chose. 

Sepulchres are places in -which dead xoersons are buried. In that country 
they were made by hollo-wing out a cave in the side of a rock. After this -was 
finished, a great stone -was rolled against the door to shut it up. When any 
one died the stone -was taken away and the dead person -was laid in the cave. 
Then the stone -was put back again and the cave shut up, until some one else 
was to be buried there. It was very kind in the men of that country to tell 
Abraham he might bury his -wife in any of their sepulchres. But this -was not 
what he -wanted ; he wanted a sexmlchre of his own. 

And there -was a man in that land -whose name was Ephron. He owned a 
field; this field had trees in it, and at one end of it -was a cave. Abraham 
thought he would like to have that cave for his sepulchre. So he asked the 
people to tell Ephron that he -wanted it, and -would give him money for it. 
"When Ephron heard this he said that Abraham might have the cave for 
nothing, and not the cave only, he -would give him the field also. 

But Abraham bowed himself down before Ephron and the men who -were 

with him, and answered, that he -would rather buy the field and pay for it ; he 

did not "want to take it for nothing. Then Ephron said he was willing to sell 

it; and Abraham gave him four hundred shekels of silver for the field, and the 

trees that "were in it, and the cave. Shekels were money ; so Abraham paid for 

the field, and the trees, and the cave, and they -were his own after that. And he 

made the cave his sepulchre, and there he buried Sarah. 

34 




ABRAHAM BURIES PARATI, HIS WIFE. IN THE CAVE OF THE FIELD OF MACHPELAH. 

.- Ql M SIS XXIII. lit. 



! 



Abraham's Servant Meets Rebekah. 



ABRAHAM was now old, and the Lord had blessed him in all things. And 
_i_^_V when Isaac was grown np to be a man, Abraham, his father, did not 
wish him to take a. wife from the women who lived in the land of 
Canaan, for they worshipped idols. He wanted Isaac to have his wife from 
that country where Abraham used to live, and where he had relations still 
living who feared the Lord. 

Now that country was a long way from Canaan; so Abraham called his 
oldest servant, who took care of his silver and gold, his flocks and his herds, 
and all that he had, and asked him to promise that he would go to that 
country and bring back from there a wife for Isaac ; and the servant promised 
to do as Abraham commanded. 

So he took ten of Abraham's camels and some beautiful presents, and went 
on his journey to the land where Abraham had sent him. And he came near 
to a city in that land, and made his camels kneel down by a well of water that 
was just outside of the city. Camels are used in that country to ride upon, as 
horses are here; they carry heavy loads also on their backs, and go a long way 
without resting. Before they start upon a journey they kneel down to have 
their loads put on them, and when they come to the end of it, they kneel doWn 
to have them taken off. 

It was evening, the time when the women of the city came out to draw 
water from the well. Then Abraham's servant prayed that God -would help 
him, and make him know which of those young women that came to draw 
water, should be Isaac's wife. But how would the servant know? In this way. 
He was going to ask one of them to give him some water out of her pitcher. If 
she answered him kindly and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink 
also, then she was to be the one whom God had chosen for Isaac's wife. But if 
she answered unkindly and -would give him no -water, she -was not to be the one. 

So while he -was praying, a beautiful young -woman, named Rebekah, came 

out of the city, carrying her pitcher upon her shoulder, and she -went down to 

the well and filled it with -water. And the servant said, Let me drink a little 

water out of thy pitcher; she answered, Drink, and I will draw water for thy 

camels also. And she let down her pitcher from her shoulder and gave the 

man drink ; afterward she drew water for the camels, and they drank too : the 

young woman was Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel. 

36 










ABRAHAM'S SERVANT MEETS REBEKAH AT THE WELL. 

07 Genesis XXIV. 19. 



Isaac and Rebekah. 



WHEN Abraham's servant went to the home of Rebekah, her brother 
Laban helped him to unload the camels and gave him straw and food 
for them. 

Then the servant asked if they would let Rebekah go home with him to be 
Isaac's wife. They answered that Rebekah might go. When the servant heard 
this he 'was glad and bowed himself down and worshipped the Lord. After- 
ward he brought out some beautiful presents, jewels of silver and jewels of 
gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah. And he gave her mother and 
her brother presents also. Then he did eat and drink, he and the men that 
were with him, and they stayed at Laban's house all night. 

When they rose up in the morning, Abraham's servant -wanted to take 
Rebekah and go on his way back to the land of Canaan. But her mother and 
her brother did not wish to part with her so soon ; they said, Let her stay with 
us a few days, at least ten, after that she shall go. But the man begged them 
not to keep him, because, he said, the Lord had helped him to do what his 
master sent him for; therefore he wanted to make haste home to his master 
again. They said, We will call Rebekah, and ask her. And they called her and 
asked, Wilt thou go with this man? She answered, I will go. So they sent 
away Rebekah, and her nurse went with her, and they rode on the camels after 
Abraham's servant. 

And they came into the land of Canaan. It was toward evening, about the 
time the sun goes, down, when they came to the place where Isaac was. And 
Isaac had gone out into the field to walk there, and think by himself alone. 
Perhaj)s he wondered whether the servant would soon be back, and whether 
the Lord had helped him to find the woman who should be his wife. And he 
looked up and saw the camels were coming. As they came nearer Rebekah saw 
Isaac, and she asked the servant what man it was walking in the field to meet 
them. The servant told her it was Isaac. Then she took a veil and covered her 
face with it, and came down from the camel; and Isaac brought her into the 
tent that used to be his mother's, for his mother was dead. And he took 
Rebekah and she was his wife, and he loved her. 

And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. And when he "was a hundred 

and seventy-five years old he died, and was buried in the cave which he had 

bought from Ephron, where he had buried Sarah. 

38 




ABRAHAM'S SERVANT RETURNS WITH REBEKAH, AND SHE BECOMES ISAACS WIFE. 

39 Genesis XXIV. 91. 



Jacob Deceives his Father. 



7TFTER Abraham was dead, God was very kind to Isaac and Messed him. 
Jy^ And he gave Isaac and Rebekah two sons, whose names were Jacob and 
Esau ; Esau "was the elder, and Jacob was the younger. 

ISTow when Isaac was old and could not see, he called Esau, who was a 
hunter, and told him to take his bow, and go out into the field, and hunt a 
deer; and to cook the meat in the way that Isaac loved, and bring it to him 
that he might eat of it. Then, Isaac said, he would bless Esau before he died; 
that is, he -would ask God to be kind to him, and would tell Esau of the things 
he should have after his father was dead. For Isaac meant to bless Esau before 
he blessed Jacob, and to give him the best things, because Esau was his oldest 
son and had the birthright. And Esau -went out into the field to hunt the deer 
for his father. 

But Rebekah heard -what Isaac said and she -was not pleased, for she did not 
wish Esau to be blessed first, although he -was the oldest son; she -wished Jacob 
to be blessed first, because she loved him the best. So, after Esau had gone for 
the venison, she told Jacob to go to the flock and bring her two little kids: and 
when he brought them, she cooked them, making nice food of them that tasted 
like the venison -which his father loved. Then she put on Jacob some of Esau's 
clothes that were in the house, and told him to take the food to his father and 
to say it -was Esau -who brought it. 

So Jacob came to his father -with the food -which his mother had cooked. 
And his father asked who it was. Jacob said it -was Esau, and that he had 
brought the venison -which his father told him to bring. And Isaac could not 
see; he put his hands on him and felt the clothes and believed it -was Esau, so 
he ate of the meat and blessed Jacob. It -was wicked in Jacob to do this, and 
in his mother to help him; for although Esau had sold him his birthright, 
Jacob should not have deceived his father. 

As soon as Isaac had done blessing Jacob, Esau came in from his hunting, 
with the venison he had killed. And Isaac said, Who art thou? Esau answered, 
I am Esau, thy oldest son. And Isaac was surprised and afraid, and he trembled 
a great deal, and asked who it -was that had been there before, and brought 
venison and taken Esau's blessing. Then Isaac knew it must have been Jacob, 
and he told Esau that his brother had been there before him and taken away 



his blessing. 



40 




ISAAC IS OLD AND CANNOT SEE. HE BLESSES JACOB, THINKING HE IS ESAU. 

4^ (Jknksis XXVII. 27. 



Jacob Flees from Esatj. 

~T SAU was very angry with Jacob for having taken away his birthright. He 

J 1^ was not willing to forgive him ; he said he would kill him after their 

father should die. When Rebekah heard this she sent for Jacob, and told him to 
leave his home and go to that country where she used to live, to the house of 
her brother Laban, so that Esau might not find him. 

And Rebekah said that the women of Canaan gave her much trouble, for 
Esau had taken two of them as his wives; and she asked what good her life 
would be to her if Jacob, also, should take a wife from among them. Then Isaac 
called Jacob to him and blessed him again, and told him that he should not 
take for his wife a woman of Canaan, but he should take one of Laban's 
daughters to be his wife. And Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went out from his 
father to go to that country where Laban lived. 

As he journeyed he came to a place where he stopped to rest for the night, 
because the sun was set. And he took some of the stones that were on the 
ground for his pillow, and lay down to sleep. And he dreamed, and thought 
he saw a ladder set up on the earth ; the top of it reached to heaven, and angels 
were going up and down on it. And the Lord stood above it, and spoke to 
Jacob, and told him that he would give the land of Canaan to him and to his 
descendants, and that his descendants should be a great multitude of people. 
And the Lord said he would be with Jacob to take care of him wherever he 
should go, and would bring him back to Canaan again. 

And Jacob awaked out of his sleep and was afraid, because the Lord had 
been there and spoken to him in his dream : and he rose up early in the morn- 
ing and worshipped the Lord. He called the name of the place Bethel, which 
means, The house of God. And Jacob promised that if the Lord would take 
care of him, and give him bread to eat and clothes to wear, and keep him from 
harm, so that he should come back safely to his father's house again, then he 
would obey the Lord; and of all the silver and gold, the flocks and the herds, 
which God should give him, he would give a tenth part to the Lord. This did not 
mean that Jacob could give these things into the Lord's hand, but that he would 

help the poor and the sick with them, and build altars and offer burnt offerings. 

42 




JACOB FALLS ASLEEP AND DREAMS THAT HE SEES A LADDER REACHING TO HEAVEX. 

43 Genesis XXVIII. 12. 



Jacob Serves Laban. 



7VFTER Jacob's dream, in which he saw a ladder reaching to heaven, he went 
-X^\. on his journey until he came near to Haran, where Laban lived. And he 
saw there a well in a field, -with three flocks of sheep lying down by it, 
and the shepherds were with their flocks. A great stone was rolled over the 
month of the well, to cover it; but when all the flocks had come in from feed- 
ing, the shepherds used to roll the stone away and draw up water for the sheep. 
After they were done drinking, the stone was rolled back again over the mouth 
of the well. 

And Jacob asked the shepherds -where their home was. They said at Haran. 
Then he said, Do you know Laban? They ans wered, We know him. And 
Jacob asked if he was well. They said, He is well ; and look, Rachel his daughter 
is coming with the sheep. While they were speaking, Rachel came with her 
father's sheep, for she took care of them. And Jacob went near and rolled away 
the stone and "watered the flock for her; and he kissed Rachel, and told her he 
was her relation and Rebekah's son, and she ran and told her father. 

.When Laban heard that his sister Rebekah's son was come, he made haste 
and ran out to meet him, and put his arms around him and kissed him, and 
brought him to his house. And Laban spoke kindly to Jacob, and Jacob stayed 
at his house for a month. Then Laban asked Jacob how much he should pay 
him to stay and live there, and take care of his flock. And Laban had another 
daughter beside Rachel, whose name was Leah; but Rachel was more beautiful 
than Leah. Now Jacob loved Rachel, and he told Laban he would stay, and 
serve him for seven years if, after they were ended, Rachel might be his wife. And 
Laban said she might be; therefore Jacob served Laban seven years for her, and 
they seemed like only a few days to him, because of the love he felt for her. 
But when they were ended Laban would not give him Rachel, because she was 
the youngest. He gave him Leah, and said that Jacob must serve seven years 
more for Rachel; For the youngest, he said, must not be married before the 
oldest. So Jacob stayed and served Laban seven years longer, and he had both 

Leah and Rachel for his wives. And God gave sons to him. 

44 



! 




JACOB SERVES LABAX SEVEN - YEARS FOR RACHEL. 

45 



(fENESIS XXIX. 20. 



Jacob Wrestles at Peniel. 



JACOB stayed with Laban a long time. He took care of Laban's flocks. 
Laban gave Jacob some of his cattle, and these grew to be a great many, 
so that after awhile he was rich; he had sheep and goats and herds of cattle of 
his own, and his sons took care of them. 

And the Lord spoke to Jacob and commanded him to go back to the land 
of his fathers; that meant, to the land of Canaan, where Abraham, his grand- 
father, had lived when he was alive, and where Isaac, his father, was living still. 
And the Lord said he would be with Jacob, to take care of him and keep him 
from harm. Then Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to him while he was 
out in. the field with his flock. He 'wanted to talk with them there, so that 
Laban could not hear what he said. When they came he told them that their 
father did not look kindly on him as he used to look, and that the Lord had 
commanded him to go back to Canaan. And Rachel and Leah told him to do 
as the Lord commanded. And Jacob made ready to go. He set his wives and 
his children upon camels, and took all his cattle and everything that belonged 
to him, and started on his journey toward the land of Canaan. 

After Jacob had gone part of the way there came a man in the night and 
wrestled with him, putting his arms around him and trying to throw him 
down, and Jacob put his arms around 'the man. So they "wrestled together till 
the light of the morning shone a little in the sky. When the man saw that 
Jacob did not fall, but was strong, and wrestled on still, he touched Jacob's 
thigh; and just by this touch, Jacob's thigh was put out of joint, and he was 
lame. 

And the man said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. But Jacob said, I will 

not let thee go, except thou bless me. The man asked, What is thy name? and 

he told him, Jacob. Then the man said, Thy name shall no more be called 

Jacob, but Israel; which means, A Prince of God: and the reason he changed 

Jacob's name was, that Jacob wrestled with him so long to get his blessing. For 

this man was the same as the one who had talked with Abraham, and told him 

that he would destroy Sodom and Gomorrah: this man was the Lord. And 

Jacob said to him, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. But the Lord answered, Why 

dost thou ask after my name? And the Lord blessed Jacob there. And Jacob 

said, I have seen God. And he named that place Peniel; which means, The face 

of God. 

46 




JACOB WRESTLES WITH AX AXGEL. HIS NAME IS CHANGED TO ISRAEL. 

,- ' (.1 *ESIS NX Ml 28 



Jacob Meets Esau. 



7VFTER Jacob had wrestled at Peniel, and the Lord had blessed him there, he 
X^jl. looked up and saw Esau coming, and four hundred men with him. ]STow 
Jacob had sent on before him many cattle, sheep and goats: he meant 
to give these to Esau as a present, so that he might not hurt him. 

Then he took his eleven sons, and gave some of them to the two handmaids 
and the others to Rachel and Leah, that they might bring them to Esau when 
he should come near. But Jacob went on first by himself to meet his brother, 
and, as he went, he bowed down to the ground seven times before him. Then 
when Esau saw this he ran to meet Jacob, and put his arms around him, and 
leaned on his neck and. kissed him; and they both wept. 

When Esau saw the women and the children, he said, Who are these with 
thee? Jacob answered, The children "whom God hath given thy servant. Then 
the handmaids, and Leah, and Rachel, came near, bringing the children with 
them, and they bowed down before Esau. And Esau asked Jacob what he 
meant by all those cattle he had met. Jacob answered he had sent them as a 
present, so that Esau might be pleased with him. And Esau said, I have 
enough, my brother; keep what thou hast to thyself; for Esau had flocks and 
herds of his own. But Jacob said, I pray thee take my present; and he begged 
him till Esau took it. 

Then Esau wanted Jacob to go on his journey and wait no longer at that 
place. If he would do this, Esau said he would go -with him. But Jacob told 
Esau that his children were young and weak, and might easily be made sick; 
and that his flocks and herds had to be driven very carefully, because if they 
were made to go too far or too fast, for only one day, many of them "would die. 
And he begged Esau to go on first by himself, and Jacob said he would come 
after him more slowly, as the children and cattle were able to bear it. 

Then Esau offered to leave some of his men with Jacob; they could help 
him drive his cattle, or defend him if robbers should attack him by the way; 
but Jacob said that he did not need them. So Esau left him and went away to 
his own home. After he had gone Jacob "went on his journey till he came to 
a place called Succoth; there he stopped and made booths for his cattle to rest 
in. Booths were sheds, or huts, made out of the branches of trees. When his 

cattle had rested Jacob left Succoth and came into the land of Canaan. 

48 




JACOB RAN TO MEET ESAU, AND FELL ON HIS NECK AND KISSED HTM. 



49 



Genesis XXXIII. 4. 



Joseph is Sold by his Brothers. 

JACOB went to a place in the land of Canaan called Bethel, and there he 
built an altar and offered up a sacrifice to the Lord. And God spoke to 
Jacob, and blessed him. After these things Jacob came to Hebron and 
lived there. 

Jacob had twelve sons : Benjamin was the youngest of them all, and Joseph 
was next to the youngest. Now Jacob loved Joseph more than all his other 
children; and he made him a coat of many colors. When his brothers saw 
how much their father loved Joseph, they hated him, and could not speak 
peaceably to him. 

Joseph dreamed a dream, and told it to his brethren, and they hated him 
yet the more. He said to them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have 
dreamed. We were binding sheaves in the field, and my sheaf rose and stood 
up, and your sheaves stood round about and they bowed down to .my sheaf. 
And they said to him, Shalt thou, indeed, rule over us? And he dreamed yet 
another dream, and told it to his brethren, and said, I have dreamed a dream 
more. The sun, and the moon, and the eleven stars, bowed down to me. He told 
this dream to his father also, and his father found fault with him, and said, Shall I 
and thy mother, and thy brethren, come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth ? 

One day Joseph went out in the field to find his brothers, who were a good 
way off, at a place called Dothan, with their fathers flock. They saw him coming, 
and they began to talk with each other about killing him. They said to one 
another, See, this dreamer comes; now let us kill him, and throw him into 
some pit. We will say some evil beast has devoured him, and we shail see 
what 'will become of his dreams. 

When Reuben, one of his brothers, heard what they said, he wanted to save 
Joseph from them; so he £>ersuaded them to put him into a pit without harm- 
ing him. Reuben thought that afterward he would come back, when the others 
were gone, and take Joseph out and bring him home to his father. They 
concluded to do as Reuben said, and when Joseph came to them, they took 
him and put him into the pit. 

And they sat down to eat their food. But looking up, they saw some men 
called Ishmaelites, coming that way. When Judah, another of Josephs brothers, 
saw them, he asked what good there would be in killing Josex)h. Come, let us 
sell him to the Ishmaelites, he said; and his brothers were willing to do it. 

Then the Ishmaelites with their camels came by, and JosexDlfs brothers lifted 
him out of the pit, and sold him for twenty x>ieces of silver ; and the Ishmaelites 
took him and carried him down into EgyxDt. But Reuben, the one who had 
wanted to take him back to his father, was not there when they sold him; 
afterward he went to the pit to find Josex>h, and 'when he could not, he was 
greatly distressed: and he came and told his brothers, and said, Josexm is taken 
away; and I, where shall I go? 

JosexDh's brothers took his coat, and killed a kid and dipped the coat in 
its blood. Then they brought it to their father, and told him they had found 
it; he could tell, they said, whether it was Josex)h 1 s coat or not. And Jacob 
knew it, and said, It is my son's coat, an evil beast has devoured him. 

50 




A COMPANY OF ISHMAELTTES COME. WITH THEIR CAMELS, AND JOSEPH IS SOLD TO THEM. 

- ] I .1 M .-i- XXXVII 28. 



King Pharaoh Asks Joseph to Interpret His Dream. 

7TFTER the Ishmaelites had bought Joseph from his cruel brothers, they 
J^\^ carried him down into Egypt. The king of that country "was named 
Pharaoh. One night Pharaoh dreamed a dream: he thought he stood by 
the river that was in Egypt, and saw seven cows come up out of the water. 
They were fat and well looking, and they went into a meadow and ate the grass 
there. After them came up seven other cows, but these were thin and starved 
looking. And the thin and starved looking cows ate up those that were fat 
and well looking. And Pharaoh awoke. 

And he slept and dreamed again. He thought he saw seven ears of corn 
grow up on one stalk. They were all good and filled with grain. And after 
them came up seven bad ears, that were spoiled and had no good grain in them. 
And the seven bad ears did eat up the seven good ones. And Pharaoh awoke 
and found it was a dream. 

In the morning he ivas troubled, and sent and called for all the wise men 
of Egypt, and told them his dreams ; but they could not interpret them. 

Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph; and they brought him. And 
Pharaoh said to Joseph, I have heard of thee, that thou canst understand a 
dream to interpret it. Joseph answered, that it was not he, but God, who would 
tell Pharaoh the things he wanted to know. And Pharaoh told Joseph his 
dreams: the one in "which he thought he stood by the bank of the river, and 
saw the seven bad cows eat up the seven good ones; and his dream about the 
ears of corn also. 

Then Joseph said that the king's two dreams both meant the same thing, 
and that God had showed Pharaoh in these dreams what he was going to do. 
The seven good cows and the seven good ears of corn, he said, meant seven 
years ; and the seven bad cows and the seven bad ears of corn, meant seven 
other years. For first there would come seven good years in Egypt, when the 
corn would grow well, and there would be plenty for the people to eat. But 
after those seven good years would come seven bad years, when the people 
"would want bread, because there would be a famine in all the land. 

Pharaoh believed what Joseph told him and said that every man in Egypt 

should do as Joseph commanded. Then Joseph went out over all the land and 

attended to saving up the corn for Pharaoh. During the seven good years, in 

which it grew well, he put a part of it away in storehouses, that it might be 

kept safe until the seven years of famine should come. 

52 




JOSEPH STANDS BEFORE PHARAOH AND INTERPRETS TTTE KING'S DREAM. 

QENBSIS XI.I. 10. 



53 



Joseph Meets His Brothers Agaik 

YEARS passed away and JosejDh still lived in the land of Egypt. King 
Pharaoh made him a great man. Seven years of famine came, as Joseph 
said they would, and Joseph's brothers had to go to Egypt to buy corn, 
because there was no corn in the land of Canaan where they lived. The famine 
was in the land of Canaan, and the corn would not grow there. But there "was 
plenty of corn saved up in the land of Egypt where Josex^h lived. 

So Joseph's brothers took their asses and started to go to Egypt to buy 
corn. And they saw Joseph in Egypt and bought some of him, but it had been 
so long since they had seen him, and now he was so rich and great, that they 
did not know him or think it was their brother. But Joseph knew them, 
though he did not tell them so. And when they paid their money for the corn 
he told his servants to put it back in their bags. And when Joseph's brothers 
stopped and opened their bags to feed their asses, they found the money. 

And now Joseph's brothers have come into Egypt again to buy more corn.. 
They have brought their little brother Benjamin with them, for Joseph had 
told them to do so. When Joseph saw Benjamin he could not bear to hide 
himself from them any longer, and he commanded all his servants to go out of 
the room, so that no one was left there but Joseph and his brothers. And he: 
wept out loud, and his brothers heard him and saw him weeping. And he said, 
to them, I am Joseph ; does my father yet live ? But they were afraid and 
could not answer him. And Joseph said to them, Come near to me, I pray you. 
And they came near; and he said, I am Joseph, your brother, whom ye sold 
into Egypt. 

Then he told them not to be troubled, nor angry with themselves, because 

they had sold him, for God had sent him into Egypt to save people alive, and 

to keep them from starving in the famine. Joseph did not mean to say that. 

his brothers did right when they sold him, but that God had made good to 

come out of the evil which they had done ; Joseph told them this, so that they 

might not be unhappy and afraid. For he loved them, and had forgiven their- 

unkindness to him, and did not want them to be unhappy now when he was so 

glad to see them once more. 

54 




JOSEPH MAKES HIMSELF KNOWN TO HIS BROTHERS. 

55 



Genesis xia*. i. 



Pharaoh's Daughter Finds Moses. 

JOSEPH died, and his brethren died also; hut their descendants lived and 
grew to he a great multitude of people. And a new king ruled over Egypt. 
His name was Pharaoh, like the one who had been so kind to Joseph; hut this 
Pharaoh had never known Josejm. 

And when Pharaoh saw how many there were of the children of Israel, he 
^was afraid of them. He thought that some day, when his enemies should come 
and make 'war against him, the children of Israel would help them, and after- 
ward would rise up and go out of his land; he did not want them to do this; 
he wanted them to stay and he his servants. So this wicked king told the 
women who took care of the Israelites 1 little children, to kill all the hoys as soon 
as they were horn. The girls he was willing to let live, because they "would 
never be able to fight against him. 

Now there was a man among the Israelites named Amram. His "wife's name 
was Jochebed, and God gave them a son. The child was very beautiful, and 
his mother loved him, but she feared that some of Pharaoh's servants would 
come and take him from her, to kill him. 

So she took a little ark, or boat, made out of the long rushes that grew by 
the river, and daubed it over with pitch to keep out the water. And she put 
her baby into the ark and laid it carefully among the bushes at the edge of the 
river. But the little boy's sister waited, not far off, to see what might happen to 
him. 

And the daughter of king Pharaoh came down to bathe in the river, and 
she and her maidens walked along by the river's side. When she saw the ark 
among the bushes, she sent one of them to bring it. The maiden brought it, 
and as Pharaoh's daughter looked into it, the little boy -wept; and she pitied 
him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews'' children. 

Then his sister, who had been watching, came near and spoke to the king's 

daughter, saying, May I not go and call one of the Hebrew women to nurse the 

child for thee ? She said, Go. And his sister went and called her mother. When 

she came, Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Take this child away and nurse it for 

me, and I will give thee thy wages. So his mother carried him back to her own 

home and nursed him there. But after a while Pharaoh's daughter sent for the 

child. Then his mother brought him to her. And Pharaoh's daughter took 

him into her house to be as her own son, and she called his name Moses, which 

means, " drawn out," because, she said, I drew him out of the water. 

56 




PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER SEES THE ARK AMoXC THE REEDS AND TELLS HER MAID TO FETCH IT. 

57 Exodus ii 5 



Moses and Aaron Go Before Pharaoh. 

¥OSES lived in the house of Pharaoh's daughter until he had grown to he 
a man: then, although he might have been rich and great if he had 
stayed with her, he chose rather to go and live with his own people. 
Many years passed away and Pharaoh the king of Egypt died, and another 
Pharaoh ruled in his place. The people of Egypt were very cruel to the children 
of Israel and they cried to the Lord because of their sufferings. 

Moses had a brother named Aaron : God commanded that they should both 
go to king Pharaoh and say, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people 
go that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. But Pharaoh answered, 
"Who is the Lord that I should obey him? I know not the Lord, neither will I 
let the children of Israel go. 

ISTow the children of Israel were digging clay out of the ground and making 
bricks with it, for that was the work which Pharaoh made them do. These 
bricks were not burned in the fire, as ours are, to harden them ; they were 
only baked in the sun. But to make them tougher and stronger, the clay they 
were made of was mixed with pieces of straw. This straw "was gathered out 
in the fields by men who brought it to the children of Israel, for them to work 
it up with the clay before they made the bricks. But Pharaoh was so angry 
at the children of Israel for wanting to go out of Egypt, that he said they 
must go and gather the straw themselves ; and yet that they must make as 
many bricks as they used to make, when it "was gathered for them. 

Then the taskmasters went and told the children of Israel that Pharaoh said, 
I will not give you straw. Go get straw where you can find it. The children 
of Israel were in great distress, and some of them went to Moses and Aaron, 
and said that they had done them harm and not good, for they had made 
Pharaoh hate them, and treat them more cruelly than he treated them before. 
And Moses went and told the Lord, and asked -why he had sent him to speak 
with Pharaoh; for, Moses said, since he had spoken to him, Pharaoh had done 
evil to the children of Israel, and yet the Lord had not set them free. The 
Lord answered, that Moses should see what he would do to Pharaoh, to make 
him let the children of Israel go. And the Lord said that "when Pharaoh should 
ask them to do a miracle for him to see, Aaron should take his rod and throw 
it on the ground, and it should be turned into a serpent. 

So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh, and Aaron threw down his rod and 

it was changed into a serpent. But Pharaoh would not let the children of Israel go. 

58 




AARON CASTS DOWN HIS ROD BEFORE PHARAOH. AND IT BECOMES A SERPENT. 

,j<) i\ - VII. 10. 



The Plagues oe Egypt. 



THESE were the plagues sent upon the Egyptians to make them let the 
children of Israel go. 

The Lord first commanded Aaron to take his rod and strike the waters of the 
river. And when he did this all the waters of the river were changed into "blood. 

But Pharaoh would not let the people go. 

Then the Lord commanded that Aaron should hold out his rod over the 
waters of Egypt. And when Aaron held it out, the frogs came up out of the 
waters, so many of them that they covered the land. 

The Lord commanded Aaron to strike the dust on the ground with his rod. 
And when Aaron had done so, the dust was changed into lice, that crept on the 
people and on the cattle. 

The Lord sent swarms of flies, and they came over all the land. 

The Lord sent a sickness ; and the cows, the horses, the asses, the camels, and 
the sheep, that belonged to the Egyptians died, all over the land. 

Moses took ashes and stood before Pharaoh, and sprinkled them up in the 
air; afterward boils broke out on men and on beasts. 

The Lord sent thunder and hail, and there was fire, also, running along on 
the ground. 

The Lord made an east wind to blow on the land all day and all night, and 
in the morning the wind brought locusts. They went up over all the land of 
Egypt, and covered the ground so that it could not be seen for them. 

The Lord commanded Moses to hold up his hand toward heaven, that it 
might be dark in the land. And Moses held up his hand, and there came a 
great darkness over all Egypt. 

The Lord sent his destroying angel into every Egyptian's house, and 
caused the oldest son there to die. Pharaoh's son and the sons of his servants 
died; but every man among the Israelites had been commanded to kill a lamb 
in the evening, and dip a bunch of hyssop in its blood, and strike the wood out- 
side of his door, so that there were three marks of blood on every house where 
the children of Israel lived. Those who were in the house ate of the lamb that 
night ; they ate of it with their clothes girded around them, with their shoes on 
their feet, and with their staves in their hands, all ready to go out of Egypt. 

And when, in the middle of the night, the Lord passed through the land, 

and saw the marks of the blood on a house, he passed over that house and did 

no harm to any one in it. 

60 




AT MIDNIGHT THE LORD SMOTE ALL THE 6TRST-B< >RN OF THE EGYPTIANS. 

r,l Exontra xii J". 



The Egyptians Let the Children of Israel Go. 



WHEN the Lord sent his destroying angel into every Egyptian's house, 
and caused the oldest son there to die, Pharaoh's son and the sons of 
his servants died. And the king rose up in the night, and all his people, and 
there was a great cry of distress through all the land for there was not a house 
where there was not one dead. 

And Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and told them to go out of 
Egypt and to take all the children of Israel with them. He said, Take your 
flocks and your herds, and be gone. And the Egyptians begged them to 
go, and to go quickly, for they were afraid the Lord would cause them all 
to die. 

And the children of Israel went, carrying their clothes bound up with their 
kneading troughs on their shoulders. And the Egyptians gave them jewels of 
silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment also, so they went out with great riches. 
And many other persons who were not Israelites went with them. 

We read in the Bible, in the book of Genesis, that God told Abraham his 
descendants should live in a strange land for many years, and that the people 
there would treat them cruelly. Yet God said he would punish the people 
who treated them so, and afterward would bring the children of Israel out of 
that land with great riches. It had been more than four hundred years since 
G.od spoke those "words to Abraham, but now he made them come true. 

The lamb which the children of Israel killed at the supper of the passover, 
was like the lamb "which Abel offered up on the altar. We have read how 
Abel's lamb meant, or represented, the Saviour. So this passover lamb represented 
him. The passover lamb died for the people, and the Saviour was coming, after 
many years, to die for them. 

When the Lord came into Egypt in the night, he did not punish those "who 

had the marks of the lamb's blood on their houses. And when he shall come 

to the earth on the Judgment day, he "will not punish those who have the 

marks of the Saviour's blood on their hearts, that is, "whose hearts have been 

cleansed from sin by his blood. 

62 




THE EGYPTIANS l T Rf*E MOSES AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL TO GO. 

03 Exodi a mi. sa 



The Childbed of Israel Complain. 



¥OSES led the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt. They went 
safely through the Red Sea, walking on dry ground, but king Pharaoh 
and all his host were drowned, because God made the waters roll back 
upon them when they tried to follow. 

After the children of Israel had gone a few days' journey into the wilder- 
ness, they came to the desert of Sin. And the people, because they were hungry, 
spoke wickedly to Moses and Aaron. They said that while they were in Egypt, 
they had plenty of bread and flesh to eat. They wished that God had made 
them die there, for Moses and Aaron had brought them out in the wilderness 
on purpose to kill them with hunger. And the Lord told Moses he had heard 
their complainings. 

In the evening, about the time the sun was going down, great numbers of 
quails came flying up to the camp so that the people could catch them. Also in 
the morning, after the dew was dried, there was found, spread all over the ground, 
a small, white, round thing which looked like the frost. When the children of 
Israel saw it, they did not know what it was. But Moses said to them, This is 
the food which the Lord has given you to eat. The people called this new food 
Manna: it was small, and round, and white like the seed called coriander seed, 
and tasted like cakes made with honey. 

And they journeyed on and came to a place called Rephidim, but found no 
water there. Then they found fault with Moses and said to him, Give us water 
that we may drink. Moses asked why they found fault with him. They answered, 
that he had brought them out of Egypt to kill them, and their little children, 
and their cattle, with thirst. Then Moses cried to the Lord and said, What shall 
I do to these people? for they are almost ready to stone me. 

Now by this time they had come near to a mountain called Horeb. And 

when Moses asked what he should do, because the people were almost ready 

to stone him, the Lord commanded him to take his rod in his hand and go 

on before them, until he came to a rock that was in Horeb, and the Lord said 

that Moses should strike the rock with his rod and then water would come out 

of it. And Moses obeyed the Lord. He took the rod in his hand and struck 

the rock and water flowed out of it, and the children of Israel drank of the 

water. 

64 




MOSES STRIKES THE ROCK AT HORER AXD THE CHILDREN OF ESRAEL DRINK 

65 BZ0DD8XVU.& 



G-od Speaks to Moses on Mount Sinai. 

IN the third month after the children of Israel went out of Egypt, they came 
near the mountain called Sinai, and encamped before it, And Mos.es went 
up on the mountain and the Lord spoke to him there. 

And the Lord said he would come down in a thick cloud and speak with 
Moses on mount Sinai, so that the people should hear him. On the third day, 
in the morning, there "were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud, on 
mount Sinai. And all the mountain smoked, because the Lord came down in 
fire upon it, and the smoke went up like the smoke from a furnace, and the 
mountain shook greatly. And when a trumpet sounded long, and grew louder 
and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him and called him to the top of 
the mount. There God talked with him, and gave him many laws for the 
children of Israel to obey. Afterward Moses came down from the mount, and 
wrote those laws in a book, and read them out to the people. When the people 
heard them, they promised to obey all the words that the Lord had spoken. 

And the Lord told Moses to come up on mount Sinai again. 'And Moses 
went up on the mount and stayed there forty days and forty nights. And God 
gave Moses two tables of stone with the Ten Commandments written upon them ; 
God had written them there with his own hand. 

Now the children of Israel, when they saw that Moses stayed so long upon 
the mount, grew impatient, and came to Aaron and said, As for this Moses, the 
man that brought us up out of Egypt, we know not what has become of him. 
And they asked Aaron to make idols for them, such as the heathen nations 
worshipped. Aaron made them a golden calf and the people offered burnt 
offerings to the idol. 

When Moses came down the mountain, with the two tables of stone in his 
hand, he saw the golden calf and the people dancing before it. Then he was in 
great anger, and threw the two tables of stone out of his hands, and they were 
broken in pieces as they fell down below the mount. 

And Moses took the calf and burned it in the fire, and ground it up into very 

small pieces, like powder, or dust. Then he strewed the dust on the water that 

they drank, and made the children of Israel drink of the water, and he punished 

the people by causing great numbers of them to be slain. Afterward Moses 

prayed that the Lord would forgive the people for their sin, and God told Moses 

to make two tables of stone like those he had broken. The Lord wrote on the 

two tables of stone which Moses brought, the words of the Ten Commandments. 

66 




MOSES COMES DOWX FROM THE MOUNTAIN AXD SPEAKS TO THE PEOPLE. 

07 I \ - XIX 2& 



The Children of Israel Refuse to Enter Canaan. 

WHEN the children of Israel had come near to Canaan, the land that God 
had promised them for their own, Moses told them to go in and take 
it, as the Lord had said they should. But they asked him first to send men as 
spies, who should go and search the land, and bring them word of what they 
saw there. And Moses sent twelve men, one from each tribe. He told them not 
to fear, but to go and look at the land and to bring back also some of the fruits 
that they found there. 

Then the s}Dies went into Canaan, and walked through it from one end to 
the other, for the Lord kept the people who lived there from doing them any 
harm. At a place called Eshcol, where grapes "were growing, they cut off from 
the vine a branch with a single cluster upon it. This cluster was so large that 
it took two men to carry it. They hung it upon a pole, or staff, and one man 
carried one end of the staff, and another the other end, so that the cluster 
was carried between them. They brought with them also, some pomegranates 
and rigs. 

They were forty days in going through the land; then they came back to 
Moses and Aaron, and to all the children of Israel, and showed them the fruits 
they had brought. They said that in the land where they had been, the grain 
and the vines grew well, and there was plenty to eat and drink; but that the 
cities had Avails around them, and were very great, and the people who lived 
there "were giants, so large that the men whom Moses had sent seemed only like 
grasshoppers when they came near to them. 

So the children of Israel would not go. And they asked, Why has the Lord 

brought us up to this land, so that Ave, our wives and our children should be 

killed by our enemies? Then the Lord was greatly displeased with the children 

of Israel. He said that because they had so often disobeyed him, and would 

not believe his promise after all the "wonderful things he had done for them, 

they should not go into Canaan, but should turn back into the "wilderness, and 

there they should -wander forty years, until all the men "who refused to go in 

"were dead. Then, after the forty years were ended, and all those men had died,, 

God said he "would bring their children into Canaan. 

68 





THE RETURN OP THE SPIES FROM THE LAND OP CANAAN. 

69 NUMBKHB XIII. 28. 



KORAH, DATHAN, AND ABIRAM ARE PUNISHED. 



WHEN the children of Israel heard that they were to be turned back from 
the land of Canaan, they were sorry for what they had done ; and they 
rose up early in the morning, and told Moses that now they were willing to go. 
But Moses told them not to go, for the Lord would not help them, and if they 
should go they would be killed by their enemies. Yet they disobeyed him and 
went, and the people of the land came and fought against them, and chased 
them as bees chase persons who come near their hive. Then the children of 
Israel came back into their camp and stayed there many days. Afterward they 
all returned into the wilderness again. 

After these things three men, named Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, with two 
hundred and fifty more of the men of Israel, came to Moses and Aaron and spoke 
against them, saying, that Aaron had no right to be high priest, and that Moses 
ought not to be the ruler over the people. Now Korah was one of the Levites 
who waited on the priests at the tabernacle, but he was not satisfied with doing 
this, he -wanted to be a priest himself. That was the reason he came, bringing 
these men with him, to speak against Aaron. And Moses heard -what they said, 
and told them, that the next day, each of them should take a censer and burn 
incense in it, as the priests did, and Aaron should do so too. Then, Moses said, 
the Lord would show which was the man he chose for high priest. 

The next day Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and the two hundred and fifty 
men, took censers and put fire in them, and sprinkled incense on the fire, as the 
priests did at the tabernacle. And all the rest of the children of Israel came out 
with them to rebel against, or refuse to obey, Moses and Aaron. But the Lord 
was greatly displeased -with the people for coming. He commanded them to go 
away from Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. So the people went away from them. 
Then Moses said, that if the ground should open and swallow up these men, the 
children of Israel would know that they had offended the Lord. 

And as soon as Moses -was done speaking, the ground opened and swallowed 

up Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, with their tents, and all who were in them. 

And they cried out as they went down alive under the ground; and the earth 

closed over them. And all the people that were near them fled away, -when 

they heard their cry, for they feared the earth would swallow up them also. At 

the same time that Korah, Dathan, and Abiram were swallowed up, the Lord 

sent fire that slew the two hundred and fifty men who had come out with them. 

70 




THE EARTH OPENS AND SWALLOWS UP K'OKAIT. DATHAN AND ABIRAM. 

71 



Fiery Serpents Are Sent Among the People. 

Y~[THE children of Israel journeyed in the wilderness and came to mount Hor. 
_L- There the Lord sjDoke to Moses and Aaron, and said that Aaron should 
be gathered to his fathers; this meant, that he should die and be buried 
in the grave as his fathers had been. And the Lord said to Moses, Take Aaron 
and his son Eleazar, and bring them up on mount Hor; and take off the high 
priest's garments from Aaron, and put them on Eleazar, and Aaron shall die there. 

And Moses did as the Lord commanded. He and Aaron and Eleazar, Aaron's 
oldest son, went up on mount Hor, and all the people saw them going up. And 
Moses took the high priest's garments off of Aaron, and put them on Eleazar 
his son, and Aaron died there on the top of the mount. So Eleazar was made 
high priest in the place of his father. And Moses and Eleazar came down from 
the mount. "When all the people saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for 
him thirty days. 

But the children of Israel had yet a long way to go, and they grew weary 
of the journey, and sinned again, by speaking against God and against Moses. 
They said, There is no bread here for us, or water, and we loathe this manna. 

And the Lord was angry, and sent fiery serpents into the camp, which bit 
the people so that many of them died. Then they came to Moses and said, We 
have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against thee; and they 
begged Moses to pray that the serpents might be taken from them. And Moses 
prayed for them ; and the Lord commanded him to make a serpent of brass, like 
those which bit the people, and to set it up on a pole. And whoever was 
bitten, the Lord said, if he would look at that serpent of brass, should be made 
well. 

And Moses made a serpent of brass and put it upon a pole, and when any 

one who had been bitten looked at it, he was made well. Yet the serpent of 

brass could not make him well. It was the Lord who did it, because that 

serpent, lifted up on the pole, meant, or represented, the Saviour who was to be 

lifted up on the cross. And it was intended to teach us, who read of it now, 

how we should look up to the Saviour, so that he may save us. from being 

punished for our sins. 

72 




MOSES SETS UP A SERPENT OF BRASS. THE PEOI'LK LOOK AT IT AND AUK CURED. 

73 Nlmueiw XXI. 'J. 



T 



Balak Tells Balaam to Curse the People. 

^ fHE children of Israel journeyed again, and came to the plains of Moao. A 
people called the Moabites lived there, whose king was named Balak. 
When Balak saw the children of Israel he was afraid, because he thought 
they had come to make war against him, and there were too many of them for 
his soldiers to fight with. Therefore he sent for a man named Balaam to come 
and curse them. The king thought that this would bring evil upon the children 
of Israel, because Balaam pretended to have power with God, and he told Balaam 
he would give him silver and gold for cursing the children of Israel. So Balaam 
rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and started to go with the men 
whom the king had sent for him. 

And God was angry with Balaam for going, and sent his angel to stand before 
him in the way, with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam could not see the 
angel, but the ass saw him, and she turned out of the way into the field. And 
Balaam struck the ass to make her go back. And the angel went on further, 
and stood in Balaam's path, at a place where there was a wall on each side of it. 

When the ass came to the place, she pressed up very close to the wall, to 
get by, but she hurt Balaam's foot in doing so, and he struck her again. And 
the angel went on further still, and stood in a narrow place where there was no 
room to turn to the right hand, or the left. Then the ass, because she "was afraid, 
fell down upon the ground under Balaam. And Balaam was very angry, and 
struck her with the staff that was in his hand. 

And the Lord made the ass to speak like a man, and say, What have I done 
to thee that thou hast struck me these three times? Balaam answered, that it 
was because she had disobeyed him, and turned out of the way when he wanted 
her to go on. 

After this the Lord made Balaam see the angel standing before him, with the 
sword in his hand. And the angel said to him, Why hast thou struck thine ass 
these three times ? Behold I have come out against thee, because thy way is wicked 
before me. And the ass saw me and turned out of the path ; unless she had 
turned from me, surely now I had slain thee and saved her alive. Then the angel 
commanded Balaam to go with the men "whom the king had sent, but to speak 
to the king only those things which the angel should tell him. 

And Balaam -went with the men to king Balak, but the Lord would not let 
Balaam curse the people. Instead of cursing them he blessed them And the king 

"was angry at Balaam and sent him away without giving him any silver and gold. 

74 




AX AXGEL TELLS BALAAM TO BLESS— NOT CURSE— TTII-: CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. 



<•> 



Xi MBBHS XXII. ;l. 



I 



The Israelites Cross the Jordan. 

"T fHE children of Israel wandered in the wilderness forty years. Bnt when 
those years were ended God brought them near to the land of Canaan 
again. When the priests who carried the ark came to the edge of the 
river Jordan, as soon as their feet touched the water, the water parted before 
them, and they walked out on dry ground into the middle of the river. There 
they stood with the ark, and waited -while all the children of Israel passed over 
to the other side, into the land of Canaan. After the people had gone over, the 
priests, carrying the ark, followed them. And as soon as they came up out of 
the river and -stood on the shore, the waters flowed in the river again, filling it 
as full as it had been before. 

But Moses, the servant of the Lord, was not with the people, for the Lord 
had commanded him to go up on a mountain, called mount Nebo, and to look 
from there across Jordan. When Moses had done this, and had seen the good land 
where the children of Israel were going, he died there on the top of the moun- 
tain, and the Lord buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, but no man has 
ever known the place -where he was buried. He was a hundred and twenty 
years old when he died, yet he had not grown weak from age, but was well and 
strong until the day that the Lord took him. After he was dead, Joshua ruled 
over the people, and they obeyed him as they had obeyed Moses. 

And the children of Israel made their camp at a place called Gilgal. There 
they found some of the corn that had grown in the land, and they parched it 
and did eat of it. And on the morrow after they had eaten the corn, the manna 
ceased coming. For forty years the Lord had sent it to them in the -wilderness, 
where no grain grew. But now they were in Canaan, where there # was plenty 
of food for them, therefore the Lord sent the manna no more. 

And Joshua "went out of the camp and came near to the walls of the city of 
Jericho. And he looked up and saw a man standing there. And Joshua came 
to him, and said, Art thou for us or for our enemies? The man answered, As 
captain of the Lord's army I am come. He called the army of Israel the Lord's 
army, and he meant to tell Joshua that he had come as their captain, to show 
them how they should gain the victory over their enemies. Then Joshua bowed 
down to the earth and -worshipped him; for this man -was the Lord; the same 
that came to Abraham's tent and told him that he would destroy Sodom; and 
that -wrestled -with Jacob -when he "was coming back from Laban's house into 
Canaan. 

76 




THE AXGEL OF THE LORD APPEARS TO JOSHUA AT JERIOTK >. 

77 



Joshca V. 13. 



The CHILDBED of Israel Take Jericho. 

Y"l~fHE people of Jericho had shut up the gates of the city, so that no one could 
-X. go out or come iri, because they were afraid of the children of Israel. 
But the Lord said he would give Joshua the victory over the king of 
Jericho ; and he told him in what way the children of Israel should take the 
city. All their men of war, or soldiers, he said, should march around the city 
once every day, for six days; and some of the priests should carry the ark 
around with them. Seven more priests were to go before the ark, and to blow 
on trumpets made of rams 1 horns. 

But on the seventh day the children of Israel were commanded to march 
around Jericho seven times, and the priests were to blow on the trumpets. Then, 
when the men of Israel should hear a long blast on the trumpets, they were all 
to give a great shout, and the Lord said that the wall of the city should fall 
down flat, so that they could go up into the city. 

And Joshua told the children of Israel that only Rahab, and the persons who 
•were in her house with her, should be saved alive ; for the Lord had commanded 
that all the rest of the people of Jericho should be put to death for their sins. 

And Joshua said that all the silver and gold, and the vessels made out of 
brass and iron, which should be found in the city, belonged to the Lord, and 
must be put into the treasury where the things were kept which were given 
to him. Joshua commanded the people not to take any of the silver or gold, 
or brass or iron, for their own, lest the Lord should send a great punishment 
upon them for their disobedience. 

And the people did as the Lord commanded. On the first day they marched 
around the city once, and after them came the priests that blew on the trumpets. 
Then followed the priests who carried the ark. On the second day they marched 
around the city again. So they did for six days. But on the seventh day they 
rose up early, before it was light, and marched around the city seven times. 
The last time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said to the 
children of Israel, Shout, for the Lord has given you the city. 

Then the people shouted, and as they did so, the wall of the city fell down 

flat before them, and they went up into Jericho and took it. 

78 




THE PEOPLE SHOUT AND BLOW THE TRUMPETS. THE WALLS OF JERICHO FALL DOWN. 

79 Joshua VL 9k 



Rahab Is Spared. 

REFORE the children of Israel entered into the land of Canaan, Joshua had 
sent two men as spies over Jordan, to look at the land before the children 
of Israel should go into it. And the men had crossed over the river to the 
city of Jericho, and had gone into the house of a woman named Rahab. 

And some one told the king of Jericho, that two spies of the children of 
Israel had come into the city and were at Rahab's house. Then the king sent 
to Rahab and asked her to bring out the men. Now the roofs of the houses 
in that country were flat, so that persons could walk on them. And Rahab 
took the two men up on the roof of her house, and hid them under some 
stalks of flax which were spread out to dry there. 

And the king's messengers came, but could not find them. After the mes- 
sengers had gone, Rahab went up and talked with the men. She told them 
that she knew the Lord had given the land to the children of Israel, for the 
people of Canaan had heard how he made the Red Sea dry for them to cross 
over it, and afterward helped them in fighting against their enemies. 

As soon as the people heard of these things, Rahab said, they were afraid 
of the children of Israel. Then she asked the two men to promise that they 
would remember her kindness to them, and not let her, or any of her family, 
be put to death, when the children of Israel should come to take the city of 
Jericho. And the men had said that if she -would tell no one of their coming, 
they would do as she asked. Rahab then let the two men down from her 
window, which overlooked the wall of the city, and they went back safely to 
the camp of the Israelites. 

Now when Joshua came into the city of Jericho, he told the spies who were 

at Rahab's house before, to go and bring out all the persons who were there, 

as they had promised to do. And they went and brought out Rahab and her 

father, her mother, her brothers, and all who were with her. Afterward the 

children of Israel burned the city ; but the silver and gold, and the vessels of iron 

and brass, were put into the treasury of the Lord. And Joshua saved Rahab 

alive, and all her relations, because she hid the spies whom he had sent into 

Jericho. And after that she lived among the children of Israel. 

80 




JOSHUA SAVES THE LIFE OF RAHAB BECAUSE SHE HID THE SPIES IX BEE EOU8E. 

81 JOBHl \ VI. 26. 



The Men of Ai Defeat the Isbaelites. 

7VFTER Jericho had been destroyed, Joshua sent spies to another city of 
-/^Jl. Canaan, called Ai. And the spies came back and told him that not 
many people lived there, and that only a small army of the men of Israel 
need go up to take the city. Two or three thousand of them -would be enough, 
they said. So Joshua sent up about three thousand men. But when the men 
of Ai came out against them, the Israelites were afraid and fled, and the men 
of Ai slew about thirty-six of them. 

Then Joshua was in great distress. He rent his clothes, and he and the elders 
of Israel, bowed down with their faces to the earth, praying, until the evening. 
And Joshua cried to the Lord, saying, All the people of Canaan will hear how 
the children of Israel have fled before their enemies; and they will gather 
around us on every side and kill us, till none of us are left. 

But the Lord told him to rise up, and asked him -why he lay with his face 
to the ground. There was sin among the children of Israel, the Lord said, and 
that was the reason they had been afraid, and not able to stand before their 
enemies. For one of them had taken some of the silver and gold that was in 
Jericho, and hidden it, instead of putting it in the treasury of the Lord. And. 
the Lord said he would not be with them to help them again, unless they 
punished the man who had done this thing. 

And he commanded Joshua to bring out all the people before him, that 
he might show who the man was. That man, the Lord said, should be burned 
"with fire — he and all that he had. So Joshua rose up early in the morning and 
brought out all the peoxole, and the Lord showed him the man. His name was 
Achan. And Joshua said to him, Tell me now "what thou hast done — hide it 
not from me. Achan answered, that when he had seen in Jericho a beautiful 
garment, and some silver money, and a piece of gold, he "wanted them for 
his own; so he took them, and hid them in the ground under his tent. 

Then Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to Achan's tent, and found the 

things hidden there as he said. And they took them out and brought them 

to Joshua, and to all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the Lord. 

And Joshua and all the people, took Achan and brought him into a valley. 

And there they stoned him to death with stones. 

82 




A CHAN IS STONED BECAUSE HE KEPT SOME OF THE SPOILS. 

83 



Joshua vii. 25. 



The City of Ai Is Takek 



JOSHUA and all the people, took the beautiful garment, and the silver 
and gold which Achan had hidden, his sons also and his daughters, his 
tent and his cattle, and everything that he had, and brought them into a 
valley. There they stoned them with stones, and afterwards burned them with 
fire. 

And over Achats dead body they raised a great heap of stones, to show where 
it lay. Therefore the Lord was no longer angry with the children of Israel 
on account of this sin, because they punished the man who had done it. And 
the name of the valley was called Achor, which means Trouble. 

Then the Lord said to Joshua, Fear not; take all the men of war with thee, 
and go up again to Ai, for now I will give thee the city, and the king of Ai, 
his people and his land. And the Lord commanded Joshua to do to the people 
of Ai as he had done to the people of Jericho ; they were to be put to death for 
their sins. But he said that the gold and the silver which the children of Israel 
should find there, they need not put into the treasury of the Lord ; they might 
take it for themselves. 

So Joshua arose, and all the men of war, to go up against Ai. But they did 
not all of them go together. Joshua chose thirty thousand brave soldiers, whom 
he sent away in the night to go around behind the city, and hide where the 
people of Ai could not see them. 

The rest "went with Joshua in front of the city. When the king of Ai saw 
the men who were with Joshua, he thought they were all that had come, and 
he marched out with his army to tight against them. Then those who were 
hidden behind the city, came into it and set it on fire. 

And the men of Ai looked back, and saw the smoke of their city going up 
toward heaven, and they knew not which way to go. Joshua and his men were 
in front of them, and thos,e who had set the city on tire were behind them, so 
they could not escape. And Joshua put them to death, as the Lord commanded. 
But the gold and silver, and the cattle which were in Ai, the children of Israel 
took for their own. 

And Joshua built an altar of great stones on the mountain called Ebal; and 

he covered the stones with plaster and wrote on the plaster the words of God's 

law, as Moses commanded the children of Israel to do before they crossed over 

Jordan. 

84 




THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL TAKE AI AND BURN THE CITY. 



36 



JOSHV \ VIII 1!* 



Stones Fall upon the Enemies of Gibeon. 

"V "T ^THElSr the kings who lived in Canaan heard how Joshua had destroyed 
V V Ai, they gathered together to make war against him. But the people 
of a city called Gibeon acted more cunningly. They did not want to make war 
against Joshua, for they knew that the Lord would give him the victory. 

Therefore they sent messengers to him, who put on very old clothes and 
worn-out shoes, and carried dry and mouldy bread with them, to pretend they 
had come from another country, and had been a long time on the journey. 

And they came to Joshua in the camp and said to him, We have come from 
a country far off from Canaan, for we heard of your God and of all the great 
things he has done for you; therefore all our people sent us to ask that you would 
make a covenant with them, and be their friends. 

Then Joshua and the- children of Israel did not ask the Lord what they should 
do, as they ought to have asked him; they promised at once to be frjLends with 
the men of Gibeon. But after three days they heard that those men had not 
come from a far off country at all, for they lived near by, in Canaan, and 
were among the wicked nations whom the children of Israel were commanded 
to . destroy. And Joshua called the men of Gibeon to him, and asked them why 
they had deceived him. They answered that they 'were afraid of their lives, 
for they had heard how the people of Canaan were to be destroyed and their 
land given to the children of Israel. So the children of Israel could not put 
the people of Gibeon to death, because they had promised, before the Lord, 
to let them live. But Joshua said they should be bondsmen, or slaves, and 
work for the priests and the Levites, in cutting the wood and carrying the 
■water which would be needed at the tabernacle. 

And the king of a city, called Jerusalem, was angry with the people of 
Gibeon for making friends with the children of Israel. Therefore he and four 
other kings of the land, gathered their armies together and came to the city 
of Gibeon, to tight against it. 

Then the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua, saying, Come up to us quickly 

and help us, for the kings that live in the mountains are gathered together 

against us. So Joshua and all the men of war went out against the five kings. 

And the Lord made the kings and their armies afraid of the children of Israel, 

and they tied from them. As they fled, the Lord cast down great stones upon 

them, out of heaven, so that more died from the stones than the children of Israel 

killed with the sword. 

86 




THE LORD CASTS DOWX GREAT STONES BTtOM HEAVEN UPON THE AMOBITES. 

gi7 Joshua x n. 



Joshua Dies and the Israelites Serye their Enemies. 

JOSHUA gained the victory over many more kings in the land of Canaan, 
and yet there was much land left for the men of Israel to take. Eor 
these kings did not rule over whole countries, like the kings that are 
living now ; they ruled over cities only, or small portions of the land. 

And Joshua grew old; he could no longer lead the men of Israel out to 
•war as he used to do. When he was one hundred and ten years old he died. 
And they buried him in the part of the land that had been given him for his 
own, on the side of the hill Gaash. 

After Joshua was dead, the men of Israel "went out to war against the 
heathen nations, as he had commanded; and the Lord helped them and gave 
them the victory. Yet they did not persevere until they had driven out all 
those nations from Canaan; they allowed some of them still to live in the land. 
And the Lord spoke to the children of Israel, saying, I brought you up out 
of Egypt into the land which I promised to give you, and I commanded you 
to destroy the idols of the nations that lived there, and never to make peace 
with those nations. But you have not obeyed me. Now, therefore, I ■will not 
any more drive them out from before you, but those that are left shall stay 
in the land, and they will tempt you to sin, and cause you great trouble. 

When the children of Israel heard these "words they wept. Yet they soon 
forgot -what the Lord had said, for they not only allowed many of the heathen 
to stay in Canaan, but they treated them as their friends. They even married 
among them, and began to worship the idols called Baal and Ashtaroth, that 
the people of Canaan "worshipped. The Lord was very angry with the children 
of Israel, and sent enemies "who fought against them and made them their servants. 

But "when they repented, and asked the Lord for help, he heard them and 
gave them rulers called judges, who led them out to war against their enemies, 
and set them free. Yet as often as the Lord set them free, they forgot him 
and sinned again. So they "went on sinning, and afterward repenting, for more 
than three hundred years. During that time fifteen, judges ruled over them. 

The king of Canaan came against the children of Israel and made them his 

servants. Now the Lord had chosen a woman to be judge over Israel at this 

time. Her name was Deborah; she lived in a house that stood under a palm 

tree near Bethel. And Deborah sent for a man named Barak, and told him 

that the Lord commanded him to take ten thousand of the men of Israel, and 

go to fight against Sisera, the captain of the king of Canaan's army. 

88 




DEBORAH, JUDGE OF ISRAEL, TELLS THE PEOPLE TO TAKE ARMS A.GATN8T SISERA 

89 JUDOES IV. 14. 



Barak Gains the Victory, but Sisera is Killed by the Hakd 

or a Woman. 



W HEIST Deborah told Barak to take ten thousand men, and go to fight 
against Sisera, Barak was afraid, and answered that he would not 
go unless Deborah -went with him. Then Deborah said she would go, but that 
Barak should not have the praise of the victory, because a woman "would put 
Sisera to death. 

And Barak took ten thousand men and went out against Sisera, and Deborah 
went with him. And Sisera gathered all the king of Canaan's army together, 
his soldiers, and his war-chariots made of iron, nine hundred of them, and 
came to fight with the children of Israel. Then Deborah said to Barak, Up, 
for this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into thy hand. So Barak, 
with his ten thousand men, fought against Sisera, and the Lord gave them the 
victory. And Barak followed after Sisera's army, putting them to death with 
the sword; but Sisera got down out of his chariot and fled away on his feet, 
that Barak might not take him. 

And he came to the tent of a "woman named Jael, who was a friend to 
the children of Israel ; and he said to her, Give me a little water, for I am thirsty. 
And she opened a bottle of milk and gave him to drink. Then he said to her, 
Stand in the door of thy tent, and when any one comes and asks if there is a 
man here, say, No. And he went into her tent to hide, and lay down and slept. 

Then Jael took a great nail of the tent, that was used in fastening the side 
of the tent to the ground, and she went softly to Sisera while he was sleeping, 
and drove the nail into his forehead, and he died there. Soon afterward Barak 
came by, seeking for Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him, and said to him, 
Come, and I will show thee the man whom thou art looking for. And she took 
him into the tent, and there Sisera lay dead. So the children of Israel were 
set free from the king of Canaan that day, But Barak had not the praise of the 
victory, because Sisera, the captain of the king's army, "was killed by the hand 
of a woman, as Deborah had said. 

After this the people had rest from war for forty years. But when the 

forty years were ended, they did wickedly and displeased God, and the Midianites 

came up against them and made them their servants and treated them very 

cruelly. For they drove the children of Israel from their cities, and their homes, 

so that they had to live in dens and caves in the mountains. 

90 




JAEL SMITES A NAIL INTO THE TEMPLE OF 3ISERA AS BE LEES SLEEPING FN BER TENT. 

<lj JUDOl B IV. 22. 



The Midianites aee Driven Out of Canaan. 

THE grain which the children of Israel planted, after it was grown up, their 
enemies, the Midianites destroyed, or carried away, till there was nothing 
left for them to eat. They took their oxen, their goats, and their sheep 
also, and the people grew very poor, and were in great distress. Then they 
cried to the Lord to help them, as they had done before, but the Lord sent a 
prophet to tell them how wicked they had been. 

And there was a man of the children of Israel named Gideon who was 
threshing wheat one day, that he might hide it from the Midianites. And the 
Lord came, in the form of an angel, and spoke kindly to him. Then Gideon 
told the Lord of the troubles that had come on the children of Israel, because 
of the Midianites. The Lord said to him, Thou shalt set the children of Israel 
free from the Midianites. Gideon answered, O my Lord, how shall I set Israel 
free? The Lord said, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt destroy their 
whole army, as if it were but one man. 

And the army of the Midianites came, and made their camp in the valley 
of Jezreel. Then Gideon blew a trumpet, and called the children of Israel to go 
with him and fight against them. He sent messengers also through different 
parts of the land, and many of the people came. 

Now the Midianites lay along in the valley like grasshoppers — there were so 
many of them — and their camels no one could number. 

When Gideon and all the army of Israel, came near to the camp of the 
Midianites, the Lord spoke to Gideon, and told him, there were too many men 
in the army of Israel. For if such great numbers of them should go to the battle 
and gain the victory, they would say they had gained it by their own strength, 
and not that the Lord had gained it for them. And the Lord commanded 
Gideon to tell the men in his army, that all who felt afraid might go back to 
their homes. When Gideon told them this, twenty-two thousand went from the 
camp of Israel, and there were left ten thousand men. 

And the Lord spoke to Gideon again, saying, There are yet too many. Bring 
them down to the water, and I will shew thee there which of them shall go with 
thee to the battle. So Gideon brought them to the water. Now all the men 
were thirsty and began to drink. But they drank in different ways — some lifting 
the water in their hands to their mouths, and some stooping down and putting 
their mouths into the water. Then the Lord commanded Gideon to put those 
who drank out of their hands, apart, by themselves; and when he had done so 
there were three hundred of them. 

Gideon took these three hundred men and came with them near to the camp 

of the Midianites in the middle of the night. The Midianites fled. And Gideon 

and his three hundred men came up with them, and gained the victory over them. 

92 




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Abimelech is made King at Shechem. 



"T" ~Y ^HEIST Gid.eon was dead, the children of Israel forgot how kind the Lord 
\ \ had been to them, in setting them free from the Midianites, and they 
turned away from him to worship the idol Baal. Then Abimelech, 
Gideon's son, went 'to the city of Shechem, where the people had set up an image 
of Baal, and he asked them to make him their king; and they did as he asked 
them and made him their king. They gave him seventy pieces of silver also, 
out of their idol's temple ; with these he hired wicked men, to go with him and 
help him in making himself king over all the rest of the people. 

But after Abimelech had been king for three years, God sent trouble upon 
him and the people of Shechem. The Bible tells us that he sent an evil spirit 
between them. And when Abimelech had gone away from the city, the people 
set men to watch for him, as he should come back, that they might kill him. 

But the governor of the city, who was Abimelech's friend, sent word to 
him secretly, saying, The people of Shechem have rebelled against thee. rJow 
therefore come up in the night, thou and the men who are with thee, and hide 
out in the field until morning. Then as soon as the sun has risen up, thou shaft 
bring thy men before the city, and when the people come out against thee, thou 
shalt do to them whatsoever thou thinkest best. So Abimelech did as the 
governor said. He brought his men up in the night, and hid them in the 
fields near the city. In the morning the people saw him and came out against 
him, and he fought with them, and chased them back to the gate of the city, 
killing many of them. 

The next day they came out again. And Abimelech divided his men into 
three companies, and hid them in the field. As soon as the men of Shechem had 
come a good way from the gate of the city, one of the companies made haste to 
the gate and stood before it, so that the men of Shechem could not flee back 
into the city. And the two other companies ran upon them, out in the field, 
and slew them. Then Abimelech and his men went into the city, and fought 
against it all that day ; and he slew the people, and broke down the houses and 
destroyed the city. 

Abimelech went to another city named Thebez, and fought against it and 

took it. After it was taken, the men and women of the city fled into a strong 

■tower, and shut to the door, and went up to the top of the tower. Then 

Abimelech came near the door to burn the tower. But a woman who was 

on the top of the tower, threw down a piece of a mill-stone upon his head and 

broke his skull. When he saw that he must die, he called his armor-bearer and 

said to him, Draw thy sword and slay me, that the people may not say I was 

slain by a woman. Then the armor-bearer drew his sword, and thrust it through 

Abimelech's body and killed him. 

94 




ABIMELECH IS THRUST THROUGH BY THE SWORD OF HIS ARMOR-BEARER. 

()'y .It DOBB IX 64. 



Jephthah is Made Captaik 

7TFTEK Abimelech was dead Tola was judge over the children of Israel for 
_J^\ twenty-three years. Then Jair was judge for twenty-two years. 

And the children of Israel did evil again, for they turned away from 
serving the Lord to serve Baal and Ashtaroth, the idols their fathers had wor- 
shipped. 

Then the Philistines and the Ammonites made war against them, and the 
Lord did not help the children of Israel. Therefore their enemies got the 
mastery over them, and made them their servants for eighteen years. 

Now there was a man of the children of Israel named Jephthah. He was a 
great and brave soldier, yet the men of Israel had been nnkind to him, so that 
he fled from the land of Gilead, where his home was, and went to live in the 
land of Tob. But when the people wanted a man to lead them out to Avar 
against their enemies, they remembered Jephthah ; and the elders went to him 
in the land of Tob, and said, Come and be our captain, that we may fight against 
the Ammonites. He went with them, and the people made him their captain. 
And Jephthah came, with the men of Israel, to the place where the Ammonites 
had their camp. 

Before the battle, Jephthah made a vow, or promise, that if the Lord would 
give him the victory, he would offer up, as a burnt offering, whatever should 
come out of his door to meet him, when he went back to his own home. 
Jex3hthah did wrong in making such a vow, for he could not tell what might 
come out of his door to meet him ; yet he made this vow to the Lord. After- 
ward he "went and fought against the Ammonites, and the Lord gave him the 
victory so that the children of Israel were set free from them. 

When the battle was over Jephthah returned to his home, and as he went 
toward his house, his daughter came out with music and dancing, to meet him, 
being full of joy at seeing her father, for she was his only child. But when he 
saw her he was greatly troubled, and rent his clothes, and told her of the vow 
he had made. Then she answered, My father, if thou hast made a vow to the 
Lord, do to me as thou hast said; but let me alone two months, that I may go 
upon the mountains and mourn with my companions. 

Jephthah should not have kept the vow which it 'was wrong in him to make. 
God had commanded the Israelites to offer up oxen, and goats, and lambs, as 
burnt offerings, not their children. The heathen nations offered their children to 
idols, and were punished for doing it. Jephthah should have repented of his vow, 
and asked forgiveness for making it. But the Bible tells us, that after two months 
he took his daughter, and did with her as he had promised ; and all the young 
women of Israel mourned for her. Jephthah was judge over the people for 
six years ; and he died and was buried in one of the cities of the land of Gilead. 

96 




JEPHTHAH'S DAUGHTER COMES OUT FIRST TO MEET THM ON HIS RETURN FROM BATTLE. 

ny JriKiKs XI. :«. 



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samson is Born. 



7VFTER Jephthah, lb/an. was chosen judge, and lie ruled over the people seven 

/n years. After him, Elon was judge for ten years; and after Elon died, 

Abdon was chosen judge \\>v eight years. Of these three judges the Bible 

tells us very little except how Long they ruled, and that they died and were 

buried. 

After these things, the children of Israel sinned again and displeased the 
Lord, and the Philistines came out against them and made them their servants 
for forty years. 

There was at that time a man of Israel named Manoah. Both he and his 
wife feared the Lord; and they had do child. And the Ange] of the Lord spoke 
to the woman, and told her they should have a son, and that he should he a 
Nazarite to God: this meant that he should he set apart for God, to serve him. 
He was never tp drink wine, and his parents were to let his hair grow without 
ever cutting it; because persons who were Nazarites drank no wine, neither 
did they cut their hair as others did, for so the Lord commanded them. And 
the angel said that Manoah's son should be a Nazarite, and that he should be 
the one who would begin to set the children of Israel i'wr from the Philistines. 

Then the woman came and told her husband that a man of God, or prophet, 
had spoken to her, for she did not know it was an angel. Yet, she said, his fare 
was like the face of an angel, btit I did not ask him from where he had come, 
neither did he tell me. 

And God gave to Manoah and his wife the son he had promised them, and 
they called his name Samson; and the child grew, and the Lord was kind to 
him and blessed him. When Samson was grown up, he went to a city called 
Timnath and saw there the daughter of a man who was a Philistine. And he 
was pleased with her, and came back to his home and said to his father and 
mother, I have seen a woman in Timnath who is the daughter of a Philistine. 
Now, therefore, get her for me, that she may be my wife. 

Then his father and mother asked him if there was not a woman among 

the children of Israel whom lie would take for his wife, instead of this one, 

who was the daughter of a Philistine; for the Philistines were enemies to the 

Israelites. But Samson was not willing to give her up: he said to bis father, 

Get her for me, for she pleases me well. 

So his father and mother went with him to Timhat h. to see the young woman. 

99 



Samson Fights Against the Philistines. 




^S Samson was going to Timnath, a young lion met him and roared at him; 
and the Lord gave Samson strength to kill the lion as easily as if it had 
been a kid. He did this with his hands alone, for he had no sword or 
spear to fight the lion with. 

And Samson saw the young woman he wanted to marry, at Timnath, and 
talked with her, and still she pleased him well. And he went to Timnath again, 
and married her. Then he made a feast there, for so the young men, when they 
"were married, used to do. 

After these things, at the time of wheat harvest, Samson came again to Tim- 
nath to visit his wife, and to bring her a kid. But when he had come to the 
house, her father would not let him go in, and told him that she could be his 
"wife no longer, for she was given to be the wife of another man. Then Samson 
"was very angry, and he "went and caught three hundred foxes, and tied fire- 
brands, or pieces of blazing 'wood, to their tails, and let them loose in the fields 
and vineyards of the Philistines. And they set fire to the grain, so that it was 
burned up, both that -which had been cut and piled in shocks, and that which 
"was still growing in the field. The grape-vines and the olive-trees were burned 
also. And the Philistines said, Who has done this? When they knew that it 
was Samson, they took his "wife and her father, and burned them with fire. And 
Samson fought against the Philistines, and slew many of them. Afterward he 
"went on to the top of a rock called Etam, and stayed there. 

Then the Philistines came up to take him, and made their camp in the land 
of Israel. And the men of Israel said to them, Why are you come up against us? 
They answered, To bind Samson, that we may do to him as he has done to us. 
And three thousand men of the children of Israel "went to the top of the rock 
Etam, "where Samson "was, and said to him, Knowest thou not that the Philistines 
are rulers over us? Why hast thou done these things? Samson answered, 
Because they have done evil to me, I have done evil to them. Then the men of 
Israel told him they had come to bind him, that they might give him to the 
Philistines. Samson asked them whether they -would promise not to put him to 
death, if he should let them bind him. They answered, We will not put thee to 
death, but will bind thee fast and give thee to the Philistines. 

And Samson let them bind him "with two new cords, and they took him to 

bring him to the Philistines' camp. As he came near to it, the Philistines saw 

him and -were glad, and they shouted against him. But the Lord gave him such 

strength, that he broke the cords off from him, as easily as if they had been 

burned by fire. And Samson found the jawbone of an ass, and took it in his 

hand, and "with it fought against the Philistines and slew a thousand men. 

100 





SAMSON KILLS A LION WITH HIS HANDS ALONE, RENDING HIM AS IF HE WERE A KID. 

1Q1 II I". K- XIV. li. 



Samson and Delilah. 

SAMSON came to a city called Gaza, and went into a house there. Now the 
Philistines lived in Gaza, and when they heard that Samson had come, 
they shut the gates of the city, and watched by them all night, to take him 
as he should go out again. They said, in the morning we shall kill him. 
But in the middle of the night, he rose up and came to the gates, and when 
he found them shut, he dragged up the two posts to which the gates were 
fastened, and took the posts, and the two great gates, and the bar which went 
across them on the inside, to keep them shut, and put them all upon his 
shoulders, and carried them a good way off to the top of a hill. 

Samson was a Nazarite: persons who were Nazarites "were commanded not 
to cut their hair. Samson's hair had never been cut, and had grown thick and 
long. And he was commanded never to cut it, because the Lord had chosen 
him to be a Nazarite as long as he lived. 

Now there was in that land a woman named Delilah, and Samson used to 
go to her house. When the lords of the Philistines knew of it, they came to 
her and promised to give her eleven hundred pieces of silver, if she would find 
out for them how they might bind Samson, and make him their captive, 
so that they could do with him as they pleased. Therefore, when Samson came 
to Delilah's house, she begged him to tell her what made him so strong, and 
how he might be bound so that he would not be able to break loose again. 

Samson should have given her no answer to these questions. But instead 

of this he told her untruths. He first said that if he -were bound with seven green 

withes he would be as helpless as any other man ; then, that if he "were bound 

with two new ropes; or, if his long hair "were plaited in a certain way, his 

great strength would go from him. But when she had done all these things 

Samson's strength was as great as before. Then she said to him, How canst thou 

say, — I love thee, when thou hast mocked me these three times? And she 

begged him every day to tell her, and would let him have no rest, but 

troubled him with her words until at last he told her the truth. He said that 

he had been a Nazarite ever since he was born ; that his hair had never been 

cut, and that if it were shaven off from his head, he would be strong no 

longer, but as weak as other men. Why did Samson tell her this, and teach 

her how to take away the strength, which the Lord had given him? He did 

it because he had chosen a wicked woman for his friend, and listened to her 

words until she persuaded him to do this great sin against God. 

102 




DELILAH PERSUADES SAMSON TO TELL IT III; THE SECRET OF HIS STRENGTH. 



1U3 



)i DOES XVI. 17, 



The Philistines Take Samson. 

XX^HEN Samson had told Delilah the secret of his strength, she sent word 
V V "to the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come but once more, for this 
time he has told me the truth; and they came to her, and brought the money 
they had promised. Then, while Samson was asleep, she called a man to shave 
the hair from his head; and after it was done, she cried out that the Philis- 
tines were coming to take him. And he woke from his sleep, and said he would 
go out against them, as he used to do. He did not know that the Lord had 
taken away his great strength from him. 

Then the Philistines took Samson, for he could no longer fight against them, 
and they bound him with chains made of brass. And they put out his eyes, 
and shut him up in prison: there they made him work very hard, in turning a 
mill-stone to grind their corn. 

And now, while he was shut up in prison, no doubt Samson repented of his 
sin, and prayed to the Lord "whose command he had disobeyed. And after a 
while, as his hair grew, the Lord gave him his strength again. But the Philistines 
did not know this. 

And the lords of the Philistines called the people together in their idol's 
house, to offer up a sacrifice to their idol, whose name was Dagon, and to rejoice 
because Samson was taken. And the people came, and praised their idol, and 
said it "was he who had helped them to take Samson and make him their 
captive ; and they were all pleased and merry. Then they said, Send for Samson, 
that he may make sport for us. So they sent for him and brought poor, blind 
Samson out of the prison, and made sport of him, and set him between two 
pillars in the house of their idol. 

Now the house was full of men and women, and all the lords of the Philistines 
-were there. On the roof also were great numbers of the people, who looked down 
to see Samson, -while those who were in the house mocked him, and made sport 
of him. A boy held him by the hand, to lead him, because he could not see. 
And Samson asked the boy to let him feel the pillars which held up the house, 
that he might lean against them. And the boy guided him, so that he could 
feel the pillars as he stood between them. 

Then Samson prayed, saying, O Lord, remember me, I pray thee, and give 

me strength only this once. And he broke down the pillars, and the house fell 

upon the lords of the Philistines, and upon all the people, killing great numbers 

of them. And Samson died with them. 

104 




SAMSON BREAKS DOWN" THE PILLARS AND DIES WITH THE PHILISTINES. 

jng Ji DaaXVX.99. 



Naomi and Ruth Come Back to Bethlehem. 

I 1ST the days when the judges ruled over Israel, there was a famine in Canaan. 
And a man of the children of Israel who lived in the city of Bethlehem, 

went to stay for a while in the land of Moab; he and his wife and their 
two sons. The man's name was Elimelech, and his -wife's name Naomi. After 
they had come into Moab, the man died, but his sons took wives of the women 
of Moab, and lived for about ten years. Then they died also, and their mother, 
Naomi, was left alone "with her two daughters-in-law. 

And Naomi heard that the famine was over in Canaan, and that the Lord 
had given the people food again ; so she rose up to leave the land of Moab, and 
go back to the city of Bethlehem. 

Then she spoke to her- daughters-in-law, and asked if they would not rather 
stay in Moab, which was their own land, where they were born, and where their 
relations lived. 

When her daughters-in-law heard what she said, they "were troubled and 
wept ; and one of them, named Orpah, kissed Naomi, and bade her farewell, and 
went away to her own home ; but the other, whose . name was Ruth, would not 
leave her. Ruth told Naomi not to ask that she should leave her, or go back 
from following after her. Where thou goest, she said, I will go, and where thou 
livest, I will live ; thy friends shall be my friends, and thy God, my God ; where 
thou diest I will die, and there will I be buried. And Ruth asked the Lord to 
punish her, if she ever left Naomi as long as they both should live. When Naomi 
saw how much Ruth loved her, and wanted to go with her, she did not speak 
to her any more about staying in the land of Moab. 

And they came into Canaan, to the city of Bethlehem, -where Naomi used to 
live. And the people remembered her, and all of them spoke about her coming, 
and said, Is this Naomi? But she "was very sorrowful, and answered, Call me not 
Naomi, which means pleasant; but call me Mara, which means bitter; because 
the Lord has dealt very bitterly with me. She meant that the Lord had sent 
her great trouble. For -when she went away from Bethlehem, so many years 
before, her husband and her two sons were with her; but now, when she came 
back, they were all dead. It was in the beginning of the barley harvest, while 
the people were cutting their grain, that Ruth and Naomi came to Bethlehem. 

And Naomi had a kinsman, or relation, at Bethlehem, named Boaz, who was 

a rich and great man. And Ruth said to Naomi, Let me go now out to the field, 

and glean ears of corn. To glean was to pick up the grain that the reapers had left. 

106 




NAOMI AND HER DAUGHTERS-IN-LAW. ORPAH DEPARTS FROM HER, BUT RUTH WILL NOT. 

11^7 Kith I. 16. 



Boaz and Ruth. 

WHILE Ruth was gleaning, Boaz came out to the field and spoke to his 
reapers, and said to them, The Lord be with you. They answered him, 
The Lord bless thee. And he asked his chief servant, Whose young 
woman is this? The servant answered, It is the young woman that came with 
Naomi out of the land of Moab. 

Then Boaz spoke kindly to Ruth, and told her not to go into any other 
man's field, but to glean in his, for he had commanded his young men to do her 
no harm. And Ruth bowed down to the ground before Boaz, and asked him 
why he was . so kind as to take notice of her, who was only a stranger. But Boaz 
answered that he had been told of her kindness to her mother-in-law and how 
she had left her father and her mother, and the land where she was born, and 
had come to live among the children of Israel. And he told her to come at 
meal-time, and eat and drink "with the reapers. So she did as he said ; she sat 
beside them, and Boaz reached her parched corn, and she ate, and afterward 
went out in the field again. 

And Boaz commanded his young men to let her glean, even among the 
sheaves that they had bound up for him ; he said also, Let fall some handfuls on 
purpose for her, that she may take them, and do not find fault with her. So she 
gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out the grains of barley that she had 
gathered, and took them and went into Bethlehem. "When her mother-in-law 
saw how much Ruth brought, she was glad, and asked the Lord to bless the man 
who had been so kind to her. 

At the end of the harvest Naomi heard that Boaz was to winnow his barley 
at night, and she asked Ruth to wash and dress herself, and go to the threshing 
floor, and speak to Boaz the words which she told her. 

So Ruth did as her mother-in-law said. She washed and dressed herself, and 
•went to the threshing floor : . and Boaz winnowed his barley, and then had a feast. 
And after he had eaten and drunk, and had enough, she came near to him, and 
spoke to him, saying, Thou art our near kinsman : and she asked him to be kind 
to her. He answered, May the Lord bless thee, my daughter. Then he told her 
not to fear; he would do for her all that she needed, because all the people of 
Bethlehem knew that she was a virtuous and good woman. 

The next day Boaz "went to the gate of Bethlehem, and sat down in a seat 
there. And he called to him ten of the elders of the city. Then Boaz spoke to 
them, and to all the people, and told them that he was going to take Ruth, the 
daughter-in-law of Naomi, to be his wife. 

So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife. And Naomi was glad for her 
daughter-in-law, who had loved her. And the Lord gave Boaz and Ruth a son, 
and Naomi took the child and laid it on her bosom, and nursed it for them. 
And they named the little boy Obed. 

108 




RUTH GLEANS IN THE FIELDS OF BOAZ. 



li»!. 



RE rn II. 5. 



7 



The Afflictions of Job. 

THERE was a man in the land of TJz named Job, who feared God, and was 
careful to do no evil. And God gave him seven sons and three daughters. 
He gave Job great riches also ; for he had three thousand camels, seven 
thousand sheep, a thousand oxen, five hundred asses and many men-servants and 
maid-servants, so that he was the greatest of all the men in that part of the 
world where he lived. 

And his sons, who were grown up, and had homes of their own, used to feast 
together, taking turns at each other's houses, and inviting their three sisters to 
come and eat and drink with them. 

But after Job had enjoyed his blessings for many years, God sent trouble upon 
him, to try whether he would bear it patiently, and be 'willing that his heavenly 
Father should do to him what he thought best. Therefore God allowed his riches 
and his children to be taken from him. For there came to him one day a 
messenger, saying, While thy oxen 'were ploughing in the field and thy asses were 
feeding beside them, a band of robbers drove them all away, and slew thy servants 
who were with them, and I am the only one left to tell thee. 

While this servant was speaking, there came another, who said, A great fire 
has fallen from the sky and burnt up thy sheep, and the servants "who were 
taking care of them, and I alone am left to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, 
another came, and said, Thy enemies have taken thy camels, and killed thy 
servants who were keeping them, and I only am left to tell thee. While he "was 
speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters "were 
feasting in their eldest brother's house, and there came a great wind from the 
"wilderness that broke down the house, and it fell on the young men and they 
are dead, and I only am left to tell thee. 

When Job heard these things, he rent his clothes and bowed down to the 
earth, and -worshipped, saying, I had nothing of my own, when I "was born as a 
little child into the world, and I shall have nothing "when I die and go out of it. 
It was God who gave me my children and my riches, and it is God -who has 
taken, them away again. He knows -what is best for me, and I thank him for all 
he has done. So Job did not sin, nor speak wickedly of God, although his grief 
was so great and had come so suddenly upon him. 

After this, to try Job still more, God sent him sickness and pain. Sore boils 
came on him and covered him, from his feet to his head, and he sat down on the 
ground in great distress. Then his wife, being angry because God sent him such 
suffering, came to Job, and said, Dost thou still trust in God? Do so no more, 
but speak against him and wish him evil, for afflicting thee, even though he kill 
thee for doing it. Job answered her, Thou speakest like a foolish woman. After 
we have had so many good things from. God, shall we not be willing to take evil 
things? In all this Job said nothing that was wrong. 

110 




THE MESSENGERS BRING TO JOB EVIL TIDINGS. 

Ill 



j. .11 1. ifl. 



JOB'S Comforters. 

JOB had three friends, who, "when they heard of his troubles, came to talk 
with him and comfort him. But "when they saw him, he was so changed 
that they did not know him. Then they rent their clothes and wept, hut 
did not speak, because they could see that his grief was great. Now his friends 
thought his troubles had been sent upon him, on account of some evil that he 
had done. And after a while they spoke to him, and said, If thou hast done 
"wickedly, do so no more. Thou must have sinned, in taking what did not belong 
to thee, or in being cruel to the poor, or in not praying to God ; yet if thou wilt 
repent of thy sins, God "will forgive thee and take thy sufferings awa}^. 

But Job knew that he had not done the things which his friends accused 
him of, and he said to them, You came to comfort me, but what you say does 
not comfort me at all. I would rather you should be still altogether, and let me 
alone. Did I send for you, or ask you to help me? If you -were afflicted as I 
am, I also could say many things against you, and call you wicked. But instead 
of this I would speak kindly, and try to make your sorrow less. 

Then Job spoke of his sorrows, and said, The Lord has sent great troubles 
upon me. Oh that he would put me to death, that I might suffer no more. 

But when Job saw that he could neither die, as he wanted to, nor be made 
well, but that he must still bear his pains, he grew impatient. He "was willing 
to bear them for a little while, but not until God saw best to take them away. 
Then he began to find fault, and say, that his troubles "were too great, and that 
God "was cruel to him. And his three friends, instead of trying to encourage 
him, still told him that he must have offended God. Then Job was displeased 
at them and answered them angrily, and they answered him angrily again. But 
after a while they heard a voice speaking out of a whirlwind that came by that 
place. It was the voice of God. 

And the voice spoke to Job, and told him of the wonderful things God had 
done ; that it was he who had made the earth, the sea, and the sky. 

When God had told Job of all these wonderful works, he asked whether Job 
was able to do such things, or whether he was wise enough to teach God what 
he should do ? Then Job saw how he had sinned in finding fault with God. He 
said, I am wicked, and have spoken of things that I do not understand ; there- 
fore I repent of my sin, and bow down in the dust before thee. 

After a while the Lord took away Job's sickness. Then all his brothers, and 

sisters, and friends, came to him, and they, had a feast in his house. And every 

man gave him a piece of money and an earring of gold. And now the Lord 

blessed Job more than he had done before he sent his troubles upon him, and 

gave him twice as great riches. For Job had fourteen thousand sheep, six 

thousand camels, two thousand oxen, and a thousand asses. He had also seven 

sons, and three daughters, and in all the land there "were no women so beautiful. 

112 




JOB'S THREE FRIENDS COME To SEE HIM IN" BIS AFFLICTION. 



113 



.!<.» II. 11. 



Jonah is Cast into the Sea. 

NINEVEH was one of the mightiest cities of the old times. In it were 
temples, palaces, and houses for a great multitude of people; and beau- 
tiful gardens, also. Around the city were Avails a hundred feet high. 
These walls were so thick that on their top, three chariots, drawn by horses, 
might be driven side by side ; and towers were built above the Avails, all around 
the city. There were fifteen hundred towers, each one being two hundred feet 
high. On the top of the Avails, and in the towers, the Assyrian soldiers stood, 
to shoot arrows and darts at their enemies when they came to fight against 
Nineveh. But Nineveh was a very wicked city. 

And God spoke to the prophet Jonah, saying, Arise and go to Nineveh, that 
great city, and tell the people of the punishment that is coming upon them for 
their sins. But Jonah did not want to go so he fled to Joppa, a city by the sea, 
and there he went into a ship that was going to a far country. 

But when he had sailed out on the sea, the Lord sent a strong wind and 
there was a great storm, and the ship was in danger of being broken to pieces. 
Then the sailors were afraid, and they prayed, each one to his idol for help. 
They threw out also some of the loading of the ship to lighten it and keep it 
from sinking. But Jonah did not know of the danger they were in, for he had 
gone down to the lower part of the ship, and lay there fast asleep. And the 
Captain came to him and awakened him, saying, What meanest thou, O sleeper? 
Rise up and pray to thy God : perhaps he may pity us and save us from 
perishing 

Then the men talked with one another, and said, Because some one in the 
ship has done wickedly, this storm is sent; and they said, Come, let us cast 
lots that we may find out for whose sake it is brought upon us. So they cast 
lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, Tell us, what wicked 
thing hast thou done? where is thy country? and to what people dost thou 
belong ? Jonah answered, I am an Hebrew, and am fleeing from the Lord who 
made the sea and the ary land, that I may not hear his voice speaking to me. 
And the men were greatly afraid, and said, Why hast thou done this thing? 
And they asked Jonah, What shall Ave do to thee, that the sea may be still for 
us? For the ship was tossed by the tempest. Jonah answered them, Take me 
up and cast me into the sea, so shall the sea be still for you, because I know 
that it is for my sake this danger has come upon you. Then they took up 
Jonah and cast him into the sea, and the sea grew still and calm. 

Now the Lord had sent a great fish to the side of the ship, to swallow up 

Jonah as soon as he should be cast into the sea. And Jonah was in the fish 

three days and three nights. And he prayed to the Lord while he was in the 

fish; he cried to God in his trouble, and confessed his sin, and God heard him, 

and commanded the fish to cast him out on the dry land. 

114 




JONAH IS CAST OUT BY THE FISH UPON DRY LAND. 

115 



JOS v 1 1 II !0. 



The Lord Spares Nineyeh. 

7TFTER Jonah had been cast up on dry land by the great fish, the Lord 

7^\ spoke to him again, and said, Rise up and go to Nineveh, that great 

city, and preach to the people the words that I shall tell thee. So 

Jonah arose and went. And he came into the middle of the city, as far as he 

could walk in one day, and there he cried out "with a loud voice, and said, 

After forty days Nineveh shall be destroyed, for the sins of the people. 

When the king of Nineveh, and the people, heard this, they believed that 
God had sent Jonah, and that the words he spoke would come true. And the 
king rose up from his throne, and took off his royal robes and put on sack- 
cloth. And the king and his princes sent word through the city that all the 
people should fast and pray. When God saw how they prayed to him, and 
ceased doing evil, he took away his anger from them and did not destroy the 
city. 

But Jonah was displeased at this. He wanted Nineveh to be destroyed 
because the people were enemies to the children of Israel, and also because he 
feared being laughed at and called a false prophet. Therefore he was angry and 
spoke wickedly to the Lord, and said, I knew that thou wouldst not destroy 
the city, and therefore I fled the first time, that I might not hear thy voice 
speaking to me. And now, I beseech thee, O Lord, put me to death, for I 
would rather die than live. Yet the Lord spoke kindly to Jonah, and asked if 
it was "well for him to be angry. 

And Jonah would not stay in Nineveh, but he went to a place outside of 
the city, and made a booth there, and sat down under it, by himself, to see 
whether the city would be destroyed or not. And the Lord caused a gourd, or 
vine, to grow up in one night over his booth; its thick leaves shaded his head, 
and Jonah was very glad for the gourd. But soon God sent a worm that 
gnawed at its root, and the next day it died. In the morning God sent a hot 
wind on Jonah, and the sun also beat upon his head, and as the gourd no 
longer shaded him, he was made sick by the heat and fainted. And he was 
angry again and "wished he might die, and said, It is better for me to die than 
live. 

And God said to him, Doest thou "well to be angry? Jonah answered, Yes, 
I do -well to be angry. Then God said, Thou art angry because I have destroyed 
the gourd, which was only a vine that grew up in a night and died in a 
night; and now wouldst thou have me to destroy Nineveh, that great city, 
where there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand little children, so 
young that they cannot tell their right hands from their left? So God taught 
Jonah how selfish and wicked he "was, in -wishing that Nineveh should be 
destroyed. 

116 



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Mi 



'fill: J I 



fi 1 








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ft 








. _: >^ 




1 


. 






JONAH 



CRIES OUT IN THE STREETS OF NINEVEH THAT THE -MTV SHALL BE DESTROYED. 

117 



jo» \h in. i- 



The Philistines Take the Ark. 

I 1ST the days when the judges ruled over Israel, there was one whose name was 
Eli. He was high priest, as well as judge. And Eli had two sons whose 
names were Hophni and Phinehas ; they were priests at the tabernacle. 
Now the Lord had said that the priests should be holy, because they were his 
ministers who offered up sacrifices to him ; But Hophni and Phinehas were not 
holy, they "were -wicked men. 

The jDeople did not care to come any more to the tabernacle with their 
offerings, because of the "wicked things that were done by Hophni and Phinehas. 
And the Lord punished the people; the Philistines fought against them, and 
killed about four thousand men. When the army of Israel came back to their 
camp after the battle, the elders asked why the Lord had allowed so many of 
them to be slain. Then they said to one another, Let us bring the ark out of 
the tabernacle to save us from our enemies. Perhaps they remembered how it 
"was carried around Jericho, when the children of Israel took that city. But the 
Lord had commanded them to carry it then ; he did not command them to 
send for it now, and it was foolish to think that the ark could save them: the 
Lord alone could do that. 

Yet they sent to Shiloh for the ark, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and 
Phinehas, came with it. When it was brought into the camp, the people were 
glad and shouted with a great shout, and the noise sounded far off on every 
side. But the Philistines fought again with the men of Israel, and slew thirty 
thousand of them ; they took the ark away from the Israelites also, and the 
two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain. 

The Philistines carried the ark to one of their cities, called Ashdod. After 
that, there came a great sickness upon the people of Ashdod, and many of them 
died. Then they said to one another, The ark of the God of Israel shall not stay 
-with us. And they carried it to Gath, but there came a great sickness among 
the people of that city also. And the Philistines kept the ark for seven months, 
but during all that time the Lord sent great trouble upon them. Then they 
called for their wise men, and asked how they should send it back to the land 
of Israel, for they were afraid to keep it any longer. 

And the "wise men told the Philistines to make a new cart, and take two 
cows and. tie them to it, and lay the ark upon the cart, and send it away, letting 
the cows draw it "wherever they chose, without any one to guide them. 

The Philistines did as their wise men said. And as soon as the cows 

■were let loose they went straight into the land of Israel, lowing as they went, 

and they came to a city called Beth-she-mesh. The children of Israel -who lived 

there, "were reaping their "wheat in the valley near to the city. And they looked 

up and saw the ark. and rejoiced to see it. 

118 




r. 



The People Ask foe a King. 

7TFTER Eli was dead the Lord made Samuel judge over the people. And the 

7^\ children of Israel sinned again, for they worshipped, the idols Baal and 

Ashtaroth, and the Philistines made war upon them. Then the men of 

Israel were afraid, and they said to Samuel, Cease not to pray to the Lord our 

God for us, that he may save us. And Samuel prayed, and the Lord heard him, 

and gave the men of Israel the victory over the Philistines. 

When Samuel was grown old, he made his two sons judges, that they might help 
him in ruling over the land. But they did not rule justly, as their father had done. 

And all the elders of Israel came to Samuel, at Ramah, and told him that he 
•was now old, and that his sons did wickedly ; and they asked him to choose for 
them a king, that they might be like the other nations around them. It was 
wrong in them to ask for a king, because the Lord was their king, and Samuel 
"was the judge whom he had set over them. 

And the Lord commanded Samuel to tell them what their king would do to 
them, and how cruelly he would treat them ; and Samuel did so. Yet the people 
said, We will have a king like all the other nations. 

ISTow there was a man of the children of Israel named Kish, who had a son 
called Saul. The Bible tells us that Saul was a goodly young man; that is, he 
was well formed and handsome to look at: he was taller also, than any of the 
rest of the people. And the asses that belonged to Kish, Saul's father, -were lost. 
And Kish said to Saul, Take one of the servants with thee, and arise, go look 
for the asses. Then Saul took a servant and went to look for them: but after he 
had gone a long way and could not find them, Saul said to the servant, Come, 
let us go back, lest my father stop caring for the asses and be troubled about us. 

But by this time they had come near to a city of that land, and the servant 
told Saul there was in the city a prophet "whose words always came true. The 
servant meant Samuel. And he said, Let us go and ask him ; perhaps he can tell 
us which way we shall look for the asses. Saul answered, Thy word is good: 
come let us go. 

ISTow the Lord had told Samuel he would send to him that day, the man 
"who should be king over Israel. And when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to 
him, This is the man I spoke to thee of. Saul stayed with Samuel that day, and 
the next morning, very early, they rose up, and Samuel took Saul on to the roof 
of the house, where they would be alone, and there he talked with him; after- 
ward he went with him toward the gate of the city. And as they were walking 
together, he said to Saul, Bid thy servant go on before us, but stand thou still, 
that I may show thee what the Lord has commanded me to do. When the 
servant had gone on before, Samuel took a bottle of oil and poured it upon Saul's 
head, and anointed him. that he might be king over the children of Israel. 

120 




THE LORD SAID TO SAMUEL, BEHOLD THE MAX WHOM I SPAKE TO THEE OF. 

I Sami-ki. IX 17. 



Saul Disobeys the Lord. 

Xnr^HEN the people asked Samuel for a king, he told them that the Lord 
V V said he had brought them up out of Egypt, and set them free from their 
enemies, yet they ■would not have him to rule over them, but wanted a king. 
Then Samuel commanded them to come to the city of Mizpeh, that they might 
have a king set over them. And they came to Mizpeh, and there the Lord 
chose, from among them all, Saul to be king over Israel. 

And the j)eople ran and brought him out, and as he stood among them, he 
was higher than any of them, from his shoulders and upward. Samuel said to 
them, See the man whom the Lord hath chosen ; there is none like him among 
all the people. And they all shouted and said, God save the king. 

After Saul had been king for a time, Samuel told him the Lord commanded 
that he should lead the men of Israel against the Amalekites, and destroy them, 
and their cattle, and save nothing of theirs alive. 

And Saul gathered a great army, and fought with the Amalekites, and over- 
came them and slew the people. But Agag their king he let live. And the best 
of their sheep, of their oxen, of their lambs, and all that was good, Saul and the 
men of Israel saved alive; but what was poor and worth nothing, they put to 
death. And the Lord was disiDleased with Saul, and he said to Samuel, I repent 
of having made Saul king, for he has not obeyed my commandments. 

After the battle, Samuel came to Saul. And Saul said to him, I have done 
as the Lord commanded me. But Samuel heard the bleating of the sheep, and 
the lowing of the oxen, which Saul had taken from the Amalekites, and he said, 
What meaneth, then, this bleating of the sheep, and the lowing of the oxen, 
which I hear? Then Saul began to make excuse and say, that the people had 
saved them alive to offer them up as sacrifices to the Lord. But Samuel asked 
Saul whether the Lord was better pleased to have sacrifices offered up to him, 
than he was to have his commands obeyed. It was better to obey than to offer 
up sacrifices, Samuel said. For to go on doing what the Lord had commanded 
them not to do, was as wicked as to worship idols. 

And Samuel told Saul, that because he had disobeyed the Lord, the Lord would 
put him away from being king; but Samuel did not mean that Saul 'would be 
put away at once. 

Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. 

And he said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be 

childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces. 

122 




SAMUEL HEWS AGAG, KING OF THE AMAT.EKTTES, IX PIECES. 

, .,., 1 Ha mi I i. XV. H> 



David the Shepherd Boy is Anointed King. 

/>OD told Samuel that he should go to the city of Bethlehem, to a man 
I Unr named Jesse, and should anoint one of Jesse's sons to he king. Samuel 
went to Bethlehem, and Jesse, and seven of his sons, came to him. Now 
the youngest son of Jesse was David: he was not with the others, but was out 
in the field keeping the sheep. Samuel said, Send and bring him. And so they 
sent and brought in from the field, just as he was, the shepherd boy "who had 
been watching his father's flock. When he came and stood before them, his 
cheeks were red and his face was beautiful to look at. And the Lord said to 
Samuel, Arise, anoint him, for this is he. 

Then Samuel took oil and poured it on David's head, and anointed him 
before all his brethren. So the Lord chose David to be king over Israel. Yet 
he was not to be king at once, or for a long while afterward, but •when the Lord 
should put Said away from being king. 

After these things the Philistines gathered their armies together to fight 
against Israel. And there came out of the camp of the Philistines a giant, named 
Goliath of Gath. And the Philistine said, I defy, that is, I dare, the armies of 
Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. When Saul and 
the men of Israel heard these words, they were greatly afraid; for no man in 
Saul's army was willing to go out and fight with the giant. And every morn- 
ing and evening for forty days, Goliath came out and defied all the men of Israel. 

Now David, who had been keeping his father's sheep at Bethlehem, came to 
the camp to see his older brothers and to bring them a present, of bread r and 
parched corn, which their father had sent. 

And while he talked with them, Goliath came out between the two armies, 
and spoke the same -words that he had spoken before, and David heard him, and 
said, Who is this Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God ? 

Then David went before Saul, the king, and told him that he would go out 
against the Philistine. David said, Let no man's heart be afraid because of him ; 
thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. Saul said to him, Thou art 
not able to go out against him, for thou art but a youth, and he has been a man 
of "war from his youth. 

But David told Saul that he had killed a lion and a bear "which had attacked 
his father's sheep. And he said, The Lord who saved me from the paw of the 
lion and the paw of the bear, he will save me from the hand of this Philistine. 
And Saul said to David, Go, and the Lord be with thee. Then David took his 
staff, such as shepherds carried, and he chose five smooth stones out of the brook, 
and put them in his shepherd's bag; and his sling was in his hand. 

When the Philistine came near, David made haste and ran toward him, and 
put his hand in his shepherd's bag, and took out a stone, and slung it and struck 
the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sunk into his forehead, and he 
fell down upon his face to the earth. So David overcame the Philistine with a 
sling and with a stone, for there was no sword in his hand. And David ran and 
stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword from him and killed him, and cut 
off his head with it. When all the Philistines saw that the man in whom they 
trusted was slain, they fled, and the men of Israel followed and slew them. 

124 




DAVID KILLS GOLIATH, AND CUTS OFF Ills EEAD WITH THE PHILISTINE'S OWN SWORD. 



1 25 



I SAM I 1 I. XVII. 61. 



Saul is Jealous of David. 

AFTER their triumph over the Philistines, Saul and David passed together 
_Ji*\ through some of the cities of the land, and the "women came out with songs 
and dances, to praise them for their victory. But they praised David 
more than Saul; they said that Saul had slain thousands, but David had slain 
ten thousands of the Philistines. And Saul was greatly displeased at their words, 
and from that time he was jealous of David, and looked unkindly on him. The 
next day an evil spirit came into Saul's heart and troubled him, and David 
played before him on the harp, as he used to do. And Saul held a javelin, or 
spear, in his hand, and he cast it at David, intending that it should go through 
his body and fasten him to the wall, for he wanted to kill him. But David saw 
it, and stepped aside out of the way, and it did him no harm. And Saul cast it 
at him again, but he stepped aside this time also. 

And Saul was afraid of David, because he saw that the Lord was with him, 
but he was not with Saul any more. And Saul sent David away from his house, 
"with the soldiers that he had made him captain of. And the Lord helped David 
to do all things well, and all the people loved him. And Saul said to him, I 
will give thee Merab, my daughter, for thy wife, if thou wilt go out and fight 
against the Philistines. Saul said this, because he hoped the Philistines would 
kill him. And David went and fought "with them, but when the time came 
that he should have Merab, Saul gave her to be the wife of another man. 

After that, Saul's younger daughter, Michal, loved David, and they told Saul 
of it. Then he' said that if David would go and slay a hundred of the Philistines, 
he should have Michal for his -wife ; for he hoped that, this time, they would 
surely kill him: And David went "with his soldiers and fought against the 
Philistines, and slew them, but David himself was not harmed; then Saul gave 
Michal to him, and she -was his wife. And Saul saw that the Lord "was with 
David to help him, and he was yet the more afraid of him, and came to be his 
enemy, and hated him. And he spoke to Jonathan, his son, and to all his ser- 
vants, and commanded them to kill David. But. Jonathan, Saul's son, loved 
David, and told him of what his father had said, saying, My father seeketh to 
kill thee, now, therefore go to some secret place and hide thyself. And I "will 
talk with my father, and -what he says I will tell thee. 

And Jonathan talked with Saul, and begged him not to harm David, for he 
said that David had done no evil to Saul, but had done that -which was good. 
He had risked his own life, that he might kill Goliath, the Philistine, and, after 
he had killed him, the men of Israel gained a great victory. Saul knew of all 
these things, and was full of joy -when they happened. Why, then, Jonathan 
asked, would he do so "wicked a thing now, as to kill David? And Saul listened to 
Jonathan's words, and promised, before the Lord, that David should not be slain. 

126 




SAUL CASTS A JAVELIN TO KILL DAVID, BUT EB ESCAPES UNHARMED. 

19- I >\mi 1:1. XVIII. 11. 




Saul Tries to Kill David. 

GAIIST there was war in the land, and David went ont and fought with the 
Philistines, and gained the victory over them. But Saul was not pleased 
that he gained the victory, because it made the people love him yet more. 

And the evil spirit came into Saul's heart, as he sat in his house with his 
javelin in his hand, while David was playing on the harp before him. Then 
Saul cast the javelin again at David, to kill him, but David saw it and stepped 
aside, as he had done before, and the javelin went into the wall and did him no 
harm; and he fled that night. 

And Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch that he should not 
escape in the night, and then to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's 
wife, knew of it, and told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to-night, to- 
morrow thou shalt be slain. 

So she let him down through a window, where Saul's men could not see 
him, and he escaped from them. Then she took an image and- laid it in his bed, 
and put a pillow under it, and covered it up, to make them think that David 
was there, and so let him have time to flee far away. And Saul commanded his 
men to go up into the chamber and take him, but when they came there, they 
found an image in the bed, laid on the pillow. And Saul was angry with Michal 
for this. 

David fled to Raman, where Samuel lived, and told him of all that Saul had 
done. Afterward he came to Naioth, and some one told Saul of it, and Saul sent 
men to take him, but the Lord saved him out of their hands. Then he fled from 
ISTaioth to the place where Jonathan was, and went to him, and said, What have 
I done P "What is my sin, that thy father seeketh to kill me ? Now Jonathan had 
not heard that his father was trying to kill David ; therefore he said to him, 
Thou shalt not die, my father will do nothing "without first telling me of it. But 
David said it was true that Saul wanted to put him to death. 

Now the next day was to be a feast day, when Saul would expect David to 
come to his house and eat of the feast. But David was afraid to go. And Saul 
sat down to eat : Jonathan, and Abner, the captain of the host, sat near him ; but 
David's seat was empty. Saul was angry and told Jonathan that David should 
surely be put to death. Jonathan asked, Why shall he be put to death? What 
evil has he done? Then Saul cast his javelin at Jonathan. Therefore Jonathan 
knew that his father was determined to slay David. So he rose up from the 
table in great anger. 

The next day, Jonathan went out into the field and David came to him 
from a place where he was hidden. And Jonathan told David that he must 
flee, for Saul sought to kill him. Then David rose up and fled from Saul: and 
Jonathan went back to the city. 

128 




MICHAL, DAVID'S WIFE, LETS I TIM DOWN FimM A WINDOW TO ESCAPE FROM SAUL. 

I SAW i i. MX. UL 



p 



The Philistines Bring an Army Against Saul. 

AYID feared that Saul would kill him. So he went and hid in lonely places, 
and in caves in the rocks, so that the soldiers Saul sent to take him could 
not find him, and some young men, who were the friends of David, went 
■with him. After awhile Saul himself went with his soldiers into the 'wilderness, 
to hunt for David. He often came near to where he was, but the Lord saved 
David from harm. 

After these things the Philistines gathered their armies together to fight 
against Saul and the children of Israel. And they came and fought against 
them. And the men of Israel fled, and many fell down slain on mount Gilboa. 

The Philistines followed hard after Saul; and they slew Jonathan and two 
other of Saul's sons. And the battle went greatly against him. The archers 
with their bows and arrows hit him, and he was sorely wounded by the archers. 
Then he said to his armor-bearer, Draw" thy sword and put me to death, because 
I fear the Philistines may take me and treat me cruelly. But his armor-bearer 
was afraid, and would not. Then Saul took his own sword and stood it on the 
ground, with its point upward ; and he fell upon it, on purpose, so that it ran 
into his body and killed him. 

When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword 
and died. So Saul died, and his three sons and his armor-bearer, and great 
numbers of his men, that same day together. And the Philistines gained the 
victory, as Samuel had told Saul they should. As soon as the children of Israel 
"who lived in that part of the land heard how their army had fled, they fled also, 
and the Philistines came and lived in the cities they left. 

The next day, when the Philistines went to strip off the raiment of the men 
whom they had killed in the battle, they found Saul and his three sons lying 
dead on mount Gilboa. Then they cut off Saul's head and took off his armor, 
and sent word through the land of the Philistines, so that all their people might 
know it. And they put Saul's armor in the house of their idol, Ashtaroth, and 
fastened up his dead body, and the dead, bodies of his sons, to the wall of the city 
of Beth-shan. 

But when the Israelites, who lived in Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines 

had done to Saul, all the brave men of that city arose, and went all night till 

they came to Beth-shan. And they took down the dead bodies of Saul and his 

sons from the wall, and brought them to Jabesh; there they burnt them, and 

then took their bones and buried them under a tree. 

130 




THE PHILISTINES PURSUING SAUL AXD HIS ARMOR-BEARER. TTTEY DTE UPON TITETR OWN SWORDS. 

231 Immi ii. XXXI. 4. 



Absalom Rebels Against his Father 

PAVID was now king over all Israel. He went out to war against the 
heathen kings around him, and gained the victory over them, and took from 
them great numbers of horses and chariots, and much gold and silver. And 
David became rich and great : he had sons, and one of them was named Absalom. 
Absalom was grown up to be a man, and among all the young men of the chil- 
dren of Israel, none was so much praised for his beauty as he. From his feet to 
his head there was no fault to be seen in him. His hair was so thick and long, 
that when he cut it at the end of the year, it weighed as much as two hundred 
shekels of silver. But Absalom was a -wicked man, for when his brother Amnon 
sinned against him, he killed him and fled to another country where he stayed 
three years. Then he came back to his own house in Jerusalem. But David 
would not see him nor sxoeak with him, because he had slain his brother. 

rTow Absalom wanted to be king in place of his father, so he made ready for 
himself chariots and horses, and had fifty men to run before him when he rode 
out in his chariot, so that all the }Deople might see him and think him a great 
man. He rose up early in the morning, also, and stood by the gate of the city, 
and when he saw any man coming into the city, to speak with the king and 
ask some favor of him, then Absalom called the man and talked with him, and 
said, that if he were only ruler over the land, the man snould have all that he 
wanted. And whenever any man bowed down to him, because he was the king's 
son, Absalom put out his hand and took hold of him, and kissed him. So he did 
to all the people who came to ask help of the king, and he made them think 
much of him, not because he was a good man, or really cared for them, but 
because he deceived them and made them believe he was their friend. And he 
sent spies through all the land to persuade the people to put his father away, 
and -make him king. And the spies told the people that on a certain day, as 
soon as they should hear the sound of the trumpets which Absalom's friends 
would blow, they should cry out, Absalom is king in Hebron, 

And there came a messenger to David, and told him how the men of Israel 

were .going after Absalom. Then David -was afraid, and said to his servants, 

Arise, and let us flee; make haste and go, for fear Absalom may come suddenly 

and fight against the city with the sword. His servants answered, We are ready 

to do whatever the king shall command. And the king fled in haste out of 

Jerusalem, he and his servants, and many of the people of the city, and they 

passed over the brook Kedron and "went up toward the wilderness. 

132 




DAVID GOES OUT TO WAR, AND GAINS THE VICTORY OVER HEATHEN KINGS. 

133 II Samif.l VIII. 3. 



Absalom is Slaik 

7CBSALOM, king David's son, gathered an army together to fight against his 

_^_^\. father. Now David had passed over Jordan, and come into the land of 

G-ilead. Barzillai, an old man who lived in that land, and others with 

him, brought food for David and his men; because they said, that they must be 

hungry and weary after coming so far through the wilderness. 

But Absalom, as soon as he had gathered his army together, made haste to 
follow after his father. Then David counted the men who were with him, and 
set captains over them ; Joab, he made the chief captain. And David said, I will 
surely go with you myself also, to the battle. But the men answered, Thou 
shalt not go with us, for they will care more to take thee, than they will to 
take all the rest who shall go out against them. David said, Whatever seems 
best to you I will do : so he stayed in the city of Mahanaim, where he and his 
people had come. 

And he stood by the gate of the city while his men were going out to fight ; 
as they passed by him, he spoke to all the captains, saying, Deal gently, for my 
sake, with the young man, even with Absalom. So the people went out, and the 
battle was in a wood. And God gave David's army the victory, for they slew of 
Absalom's army twenty thousand men. And Absalom rode on a mule, and the 
mule went under the thick branches of a great oak, and Absalom's head was 
caught among the branches. Then the mule that "was under him went away, 
and left him there, hanging above the ground. 

And a man in the army saw him, and came to Joab, and said, I saw Absalom 
hanged in an oak. Joab said to the man, Why didst thou not kill him? and I 
would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle. The man answered, 
Though I should have a thousand shekels of silver, I would not kill the king's 
son, because the king commanded us all not to harm Absalom. Then Joab said,, 
I cannot stay here to talk with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and 
went to the place -where Absalom was, and thrust the darts into his body, while 
he was yet alive, hanging in the branches of the oak: afterward ten young men 
who were servants to Joab, came and slew him. 

Then Joab blew a trumpet for the people to come back from following after 

Absalom's army ; because now, that Absalom himself was dead, there was no need 

that any more of his men should be slain. And they took Absalom and threw 

his dead body into a pit that was in the wood, and piled a great heap of stones. 

over him. And all the men who had been with him fled every one to his tent.. 

134 










7T& 



•3h£9 



•$ 






J4 



'i^W^ 



ABSALOM HANGS BY THE BEAD FROM THE BRANCHES OF AN OAK TREE. 

, ..- II - \MI II XVIII.il. 



David Heaes of the Death of Absalom. 

7VFTER the battle was over between king David's soldiers, and the men who had 
7y\ followed Absalom, one of the priest's sons whose name was Ahimaaz, came 
to Joab, and said, Let me run now into the city and tell the king how 
the Lord has punished his enemies. But Joab forbade him, and told another 
man, named Cushi, to go and tell the king. Then Ahimaaz said, I pray thee let 
me also run after Cushi. Joab asked him, Why dost thou want to go? But he 
answered again, Let me run. And Joab said to him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran 
hy another way, and came near to the city before Cushi. 

And David sat at the gate of the city waiting till he should hear news from 
the battle. His watchman had gone up to the toi3 of the wall to see if any one 
■were coming, and he saw a man running toward the city alone. And he cried 
out and told the king: the king answered, If he is alone, he brings word from 
the army. While this man was coming near, the watchman saw another running, 
and he called, and said, Another man is running toward the city alone. The 
king said, He also bringeth news. And the watchman said, I think the running 
of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz, the priest's son. The king answered, 
He is a good man and is bringing good news to us. 

Then Ahimaaz came to the king and spoke to him, saying, All is well. And he 
bowed down with his face to the earth before the king, and said, Blessed be the Lord 
who has given us the victory over the men 'who rose up to fight against the king. 
And the king asked him, Is the young man Absalom safe? Ahimaaz answered, 
When Joab sent me, I saw a great tumult in the army, as if something had happened, 
but I knew not what it "was. The king said, Step to one side, and stand there. 

Then Cushi, the other messenger, came and spoke to the king, saying, I have 
news, my lord the king; for the Lord has this day punished all those who 
rebelled against thee. And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? 
Cushi answered, May all the king's enemies, and all those who wish, to do him 
evil, be as that young man is. 

Then David knew that Absalom -was dead. And he was in great distress, 
and went up into the chamber that was over the gate of the city, and wept; 
and as he went he cried, O my son Absalom ! my son, my son Absalom ! Would 
that God had let me die instead of thee, O Absalom, my son, my son ! 

And it was told Joab how the king mourned for Absalom. The people also 

heard of it, and they were afraid to come before David while he grieved so much 

for his son whom they had slain. 

136 




DAVID GOES UP TO A CHAMBER OVER THE GATE AND MOURXS FOR ABSALOM. 

|37 II Samih xviii. m. 



Solomon is Made King. 

I^~"\ A VTD was king for forty years, and he died, being an old man and honored 
. — s by all the people; and they buried him in the city of Jerusalem. 

Solomon his son, was now king. He feared God, and was careful to do no 
evil. And God spoke to him in a dream at night, and offered him anything 
that he desired to have. God said to him, Ask what I shall give thee? Solomon 
answered, Give thy servant wisdom, that I may be able to rule well over thy 
people, the children of Israel. And God was pleased with the answer that 
Solomon made, and told him that because he had not asked for riches, or a long 
life, or the victory over his enemies, he would give him the wisdom he asked 
for, and beside this, riches and honor, more than any of the kings who had been 
before him, or who should be after him ; and if he would obey his command- 
ments, God promised to give him a long life also. 

And there came two women to king Solomon, and stood before him. They 
lived together in one house ; and one of them spoke to the king, and said, O my 
lord, this woman and I live in one house, and we each of us had a little son. 
And this woman's child died in the night, and she rose up at midnight, while I 
slept, and took my son from me, and laid it in her bed, and laid her dead child 
in my bed. And when I woke in the morning to feed my child, it was dead; 
but when I looked upon it, I saw it was not my child. 

After this "woman was done speaking, the other contradicted her, saying, No, 
the living is my son, and the dead is thine. And the king called out to his 
servants, Bring here a sword ! And they brought it. And the king said, Cut 
the living child in two, and give half to one and half to the other. 

Then the true mother of the child, because she loved it, and would not have 
it killed, said, O my lord, give her the living child, and on no account slay it. 
But the other, who pretended to be its mother, said, Yes, cut it in two. Then 
the king commanded that the child should be given to the woman who had 
pity upon it, because he knew that it must be hers. It was to find out this that 
he called for the sword, not because he intended to slay the child. 

And all the people heard of what the king had done, and they served him, 

because they saw that God had given him wisdom to judge aright. 

138 




TWO WOMEN COMB TO 90LOMON FOE JUDGMENT. 

139 



: Kin..- Ill .1; 



Solomon Builds the Temple. 

T riNG Solomon was ruler not only over the children of Israel, but other 
^\_ nations that lived near to them, also obeyed him, and brought him 
presents of precious things. And God gave Solomon great wisdom and 
riches; he had many officers and servants, and many great men came to visit 
him in his palace. Every day there were killed for his table and the table of 
his servants, ten oxen that had been fatted in the stable, twenty oxen brought 
in from the field, and a hundred sheep ; beside roe-bucks, ■ deer, and fatted fowls. 
He had also forty thousand horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. 

"When David was king, he had made ready stones, and timber, and iron, for 
the house of the Lord, or temple, that was to be built. And he told where it 
should stand: on the top of mount Moriah, he said, where Araun air's threshing- 
floor had been. David could not build the house himself: the Lord had said 
that because he was a man of Avar, and had shed much blood, he must not build 
it, but God promised David that Solomon, his son, should be the one to do this 
great work. 

When the house should be finished, the ark of the Lord was to be placed in 
it. ISTow the ark "was a very holy thing. When it was first brought inside of 
the tabernacle, in the wilderness, God came in a cloud, into the tabernacle, above 
the ark, and there he dwelt in the cloud over the mercy-seat. When the children 
of Israel went on their journey through the wilderness, and took the ark with 
them, they were not allowed to put it into a cart, but it was carried on the 
Levites' shoulders. And now the ark would be put in the great house that was 
to be made for it. 

And Solomon made ready to build the house for the ark on mount Moriah, 
at the place where Araunah's threshing-floor had been. He asked Hiram, king 
of Tyre, who had been David's friend, to send his servants into the forests to cut 
down trees for the building, because Hiram's servants knew better than Solomon's, 
how to cut wood and hew timber. So Hiram sent out men into the forest, on a 
mountain called Lebanon, where cedar trees grew. Solomon sent many thousands 
of his own servants also, and Solomon's servants and Hiram's servants worked 
together in cutting down trees. Afterward they brought them to the sea, which 
was not far off, and made them into rafts and floated them along the shore till 
they came near to Jerusalem. 

And Hiram sent to Solomon a man who was skilful to work in gold and 
silver, in brass, iron, wood, and fine linen, that he might help him in building 
the house for the ark. Solomon gave Hiram corn, and oil, and wine, for his 
servants. And Hiram's servants and Solomon's servants made ready great stones 
and timbers; and Solomon began to build the house according to the pattern 
which David had given him. 

140 




CEDAR AND FIR TREES ARE BROUGHT PROW LEBANON FOR THE TEMPLE. 

in I Khiob V. 10. 



The Temple is Finished. 

' 7^ING Solomon "was more than seven years in building the temple. And 
/ \^ when it was finished, he called to Jerusalem all the elders and chief men of 
Israel, that they might he there when the ark should he brought into the 
house he had built. And the elders and chief men came and gathered together 
with the king, and all the people, before the ark. ' And the priests took up the 
ark and carried it into the house, into the most holy place, and set it under the 
wings of the cherubim which Solomon had made. The two tables of stone, with 
the ten commandments written on them, were in the ark. And when the priests 
came out of the most holy place, after they had left the ark there, a cloud tilled 
the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not go into it, because the glory 
of the Lord filled the house of the Lord. 

Then the king stood up before the people, and thanked God for helping him 
build the house; and he asked God to take that house for his Temple. And 
Solomon kneeled down before all the people, and spread out his hands toward 
heaven, and prayed to the Lord that he would hear and answer all the prayers 
"which the children of Israel should make in that house. 

Solomon sent to the temple the different courses, or companies, of the priests 
and the Levites which his father, David, had appointed to attend to God's worship 
there; and he sent porters to watch at the gates. He commanded that sacrifices 
should be offered up on the morning and evening of each day, on the Sabbath 
days, and at the three great feasts which* the children of Israel were commanded 
to keep every year; the feast of the passover, the feast of harvest, and the feast 
of tabernacles. 

Solomon was wiser thau all the other kings of the earth, and they came to 
him to be taught of his wisdom. He made a great throne of ivory and overlaid 
it with pure gold. And. all the cups that Solomon drank out of, and all the 
vessels that were in his house, were made of pure gold. For his ships sailed to 
a far country, called Tarshish, and every three years came back, bringing him 
gold and silver, ivory, apes and peacocks. 

And the queen of a far-off country called Sheba, who had heard of his wisdom 
and his knowledge of the true God, came to visit him. And she talked with 
Solomon and asked him hard questions about things that she wanted to know. 
And Solomon answered all her questions, and explained to her everything that 
she asked him. And when she looked on the palace that Solomon had built, the 
costly food that was upon his table; and the number of his servants that waited 
on him; she wondered at all these things, and said, that she had not believed 
what she heard in her own land of his riches and wisdom, but now she saw that 
the half was not told her. And she gave to Solomon presents of gold, and spices, 
and precious stones, and Solomon gave her costly presents also. Then she turned, 
she and her servants, and went back to her own land. 

142 




THE QCKKX OF SIIEBA EEABS OF SOLOMON'S FAME AND COMES TO VISIT HTM. 

1 ... I Kis'.- X 1 



Solomon Dies and the Kingdom is Divided. 

T 7"ING- Solomon had many wives : Some of them were heathen women, whom 
;' / \ the Lord had commanded the children of Israel not to marry. And 
when he grew old, his wives persuaded him to worship idols, so that he 
did not continue serving God as David his father had done. And the Lord was 
angry with him, and said, that because he had done these things, his son should 
not be king over the children of Israel after Solomon himself should die. Tet for 
David's sake, the Lord would not take away all of the kingdom from Solomon's 
son, but would make him king over two of the tribes of Israel. 

There was among the children of Israel a young man named Jeroboam. One 
day, as he went out of Jerusalem, a prophet met him; he was wearing a new 
garment, and they two were alone in the field. And the prophet took hold of 
the new garment that he wore, and tore it in twelve pieces. Then he told 
Jeroboam to take ten of the pieces, because the Lord was going to make him 
king over ten of the tribes of Israel. When Solomon heard this he tried to kill 
Jeroboam, but Jeroboam fled into Egypt and stayed in that land. 

Solomon was king over Israel forty years, and he died and was buried in 
Jerusalem. And when the people saw that he was dead, they sent word to 
Jeroboam, in Egypt, and Jeroboam came back to the land of Israel. Then he 
and all the people came to Rehoboam, Solomon's son, to make him their king. 
But first they talked with him, and complained that his father had ruled over 
them harshly and treated them cruelly, and they asked Rehoboam if he would 
not treat them more kindly than his father had done. 

After they had gone Rehoboam asked advice from the old men who had 
been friends of his father. And they advised him to speak gently to the people, 
and promise that he would be kind to them ; if he would do this, they said, the 
people would choose him for their king, and be his servants forever. But Reho- 
boam was not satisfied with the good advice that the old men gave him; he 
asked the young men also, who had grown up with him, what they would 
advise him to do. And the young men told him to speak roughly to the people, 
and say, that if his father had been cruel to them, he would be yet more cruel, 
and if his father had punished them a little, he would punish them a great deal. 

So the people came again in three days, and Jeroboam was with them. And 

Rehoboam spoke roughly to them, as the young men had advised him. Then 

the people went away in great anger, and said that Rehoboam, Solomon's son, 

should not rule over them, but Jeroboam should be their king. Tet the tribe of 

Judah still kept Rehoboam for their king, and the tribe of Benjamin also. But 

the other tribes chose Jeroboam. So now there were two kings ruling over the 

children of Israel. Rehoboam's kingdom was called the kingdom of Judah, and 

Jeroboam's the kingdom of Israel. 

144 




10 



K3NQ SOD 'MON. 
145 




Jeroboam Sets up Golden Idols. 

[S soon as the ten tribes of Israel had chosen Jeroboam king, they left Reho- 
boam and went away to their own homes. Then Jeroboam said to himself, 
If the peojDle of the ten tribes shall go up to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices, 
and worship at the temple, they will some day put me away from being their 
king. For at Jerusalem they 'will see Rehoboam, Solomon's son, and will want 
to serve him, but me they will put to death. Therefore Jeroboam made two 
calves of gold, and set them up in that part of the land -which belonged to the 
ten tribes. And he said to the people, It is too far for you to go to Jerusalem to 
"worship. See these idols of gold, they are your gods; worship them, for it was 
they that brought your fathers up out of Egypt. And he built houses for the 
idols, one at Bethel, and the other at Dan, in different parts of the land, and the 
people went there to worship them. 

One day Jeroboam was standing in his idol's house, by the altar of incense, 
to burn incense to the golden calf which was at Bethel. And there came to 
him a prophet out of the land of Judah, who said that a king should be born in 
Judah, named Josiah, who would come and burn men's bones on that altar, to 
defile, or spoil it, and make it unclean. 

Then Jeroboam was angry at what the prophet said, and stretched out his 
hand to take hold of him ; but while it was stretched out, the Lord made it 
grow stiff and withered, in a. moment, so that he could not draw it back again. 

When Jeroboam saw what the Lord had done to him, he begged the prophet 
to pray that his hand might be made well. And the prophet prayed for him, 
and his hand "was made well. Then Jeroboam said to the prophet, Come home 
with me and rest thyself, and I will give thee a reward. But the prophet 
answered, Though thou wouldst give me half of all the riches in thy house, I 
will not go with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place. 
For so the Lord commanded me, saying, Eat no bread nor drink water there, 
nor come back by the same way that thou goest. So the prophet turned to 
come back by another way, to the land of Judah. 

rJow an old man, who was also a prophet, when he heard what the prophet 
from Judah had done, followed after, and came up "with him, and said, Come 
home with me and eat bread. But the prophet from Judah said, I may not go 
with thee, nor eat bread nor drink -water in this place, for the Lord has com- 
manded me, saying, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor come 
back by the "way that thou goest. But the old man persuaded the prophet from 
Judah, and he listened to his words and went back with him, and did eat bread 
and drink water in his house. 

After he had eaten and drunk, he started to go back to the land of Judah. 

But as he "went, a lion met him and slew him, and his dead body lay in the road. 

146 







THE PROPHET FROM JUDAH DISOBEYS THE LORD AND IS SLAIN BY A LION. 

,|- I Kin'.- XIII M 



The Prophet Elijah Foretells a Famine. 

JEROBOAM reigned for twenty-two years; and he died and rTadab his son 
was made king in his place. 

Nadab did not serve God, but worshipped the golden calves which his 
father had set up. He went with his army against the Philistines and besieged 
one of their cities. While he was there and after he had been king for two years, 
a man named Baasha rebelled against him and slew him ; and Baasha was made' 
king over the ten tribes of Israel. 

After six kings had ruled over the ten tribes of Israel, Ahab, Omrfs son, was 
made king. The Bible tells us that he was more wicked than all who had ruled 
before him. He took for his wife the daughter of a heathen king. Her name 
was Jezebel, and she worshipped the idol Baal. And Ahab built a house, or 
temple, for the idol, in the city of Samaria. 

And the Lord was displeased with Ahab and sent the prophet Elijah to tell 
him that there should not, for years, be any more rain in the land of Israel. ISTo 
rain should come there, the Lord said, until Elijah should ask for it. As this 
■would make Ahab very angry at Elijah, the Lord told the prophet, after he had 
spoken these words, to flee away where Ahab could not find him. Go, the Lord 
said, and hide by a brook that is in the wilderness. Thou shalt drink of the 
water of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. So 
Elijah went and nid by the brook; and he drank of the water, and the ravens 
brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening. 
But after a while, because there had been no rain, the brook dried up and a 
great famine came in the land. 

Then the Lord said to him, Arise, and go to the city of Zarephath, for I have 
commanded a widow woman there to feed thee. And Elijah arose and "went. 
"When he came to the gate of the city, the woman was gathering sticks, and he 
called to her and asked her to bring him a little water, and some bread. But she 
said that she had only a handful of meal, and a little oil in a cruse. Elijah said 
to her, Fear not; go and bake it, but make a little cake for me first and bring it. 

And she did as Elijah commanded ; and afterward she, and he, and her son, did 
eat for a whole year, and the Lord made the meal and the oil last all that time. 

After this the son of the woman grew sick, and his sickness was so great that 
he died. When she told Elijah of it, he said, Give me thy son. And he took him 
out of her arms, and carried him up into his own chamber and laid him on his 
bed. And Elijah cried to the Lord, and said, O Lord, hast thou brought evil 
upon the woman in whose house I stay, by slaying her son? I beseech thee, O 
Lord, let the child's soul come into him again. And the Lord heard Elijah's 
prayer, and sent the soul of the child into him again, so that he lived. And 
Elijah gave him to his mother. 

148 




THE PROPHET ELIJAH RAISES THE SOX OF THE WIDOW TO LIFE. 



149 



I Kiv.sXYII.23. 



Elijah Slats the Pkophets of Baal. 

THE famine lasted for more than three years, in the land of Israel. Then 
the Lord spoke to Elijah, and said, Go, show thyself to king Ahab, and I 
will send rain on the land. 

When Ahab saw Elijah, he said, Art thou he that troubleth the people of 
Israel? Elijah answered, I am not the one who troubles Israel, but thou and 
thy family, because you have forsaken the Lord and have served Baal. 

Then Elijah told Ahab to send and gather all the people at Mount Carmel, 
and to bring there also, all the priests, of Baal. And Elijah came there and 
spoke to the people, saying, How long will you be in deciding whom you will 
serve? If the Lord be God, obey him; but if Baal be God, then obey him. 

And Elijah said, Bring two bullocks, and let Baal's prophets chopse one of 
them and kill it and lay it on Baal's altar, but not put any fire under it. And 
I will take the other bullock and kill it, and lay it on the Lord's altar. Then 
they shall pray to Baal .to send down fire from heaven, and I will pray to 
the Lord; and the one that sends down fire to burn up his offering, he shall 
be God. And all the people answered that it should be as Elijah said. 

And Baal's prophets chose their bullock and killed it, and laid it on the 
altar. And they cried out to their idol, from morning till evening, but no fire 
came to burn up their offering. 

Then Elijah cut a bullock in pieces, and put it on an altar he had built,, 
and Elijah came near to the altar and prayed to the Lord, saying, Hear me, 
O Lord, hear me, so that this people may know thou art the true God, and 
that thou dost call them from serving idols to serve thee again. Then the fire 
of the Lord fell from heaven upon the altar and burnt up the bullock and the 
'wood, and the stones of which the altar was made, and licked up water that 
they had poured in a trench around the altar, to show that no fire of their own 
had been hidden there. 

When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces, and. said, The Lord, 
he is God! The Lord, he is God! And Elijah said to them, Take the prophets 
of Baal, let not one of them escape. And the people took them; and Elijah 
brought them down to the brook Kishon and slew them there; for so the Lord 
commanded it should, be done to all those who taught the people to serve idols 
and forsake him. Then Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel and prayed 
that God would send the rain. And after awhile a little cloud rose up, and grew 
larger, until all the sky was covered and there was a very great rain. 

King Ahab told his wife, Jezebel, of all that Elijah had done, and how he had 
slain the prophets of Baal with the sword. Then Jezebel was very angry, and she 
sent word to Elijah, saying, Let the gods (that is, the idols which she worshipped) 
slay me also, if I do not put thee to death by to-morrow about this time. When 
Elijah heard these words he was greatly afraid, and made haste to flee for his life. 

And he sat down under a juniper tree, and asked that he might die, saying, 
Now, O Lord, take away my life. For he was weary of fleeing from his enemies.. 

ISTow Elijah fell asleep, and an angel came and touched him and said to him, 
Arise and eat. Elijah looked, and saw a cake and a cruse of water by his head. 
And he ate and drank, and lay down and slept again. 

150 




ELIJAH ESCAPES TO THE WILDERNESS AND IS FED BY AN ANGEL. 

]-] I Kings XIX. 5. 



The Kings of Judah and Isbael go out to Battle. 

JEHOSHAPHAT, king of Judah, came clown to Samaria to visit Ahab. Then 
Ahab told him that Benhadad, king of Syria, was keeping one of his cities 
from him, and Ahab asked Jehoshaphat to go out with him to take it again. 
Now Jehoshaphat was a good man and feared the Lord, therefore he told Ahab 
to inquire first whether the Lord was wilting they should go. 

And Ahab gathered his prophets together, about four hundred men, and 
said to them, Shall I go up against the city to battle, or shall I not go? They 
answered, Go up, for the Lord will give it into thy hand. But Jehoshaphat did 
not believe these men, for they were false prophets, who said whatever they 
thought would please Ahab. And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet 
of the Lord, beside these, whom we may ask ? Ahab answered, There is yet one 
a man named Micaiah, but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good to 
me, but evil. Jehoshaphat answered, Let not the king say so. 

And a messenger was sent, and came back bringing Micaiah to the king. 
And Ahab asked him, Shall we go to battle against the city, or shall we not 
go ? Micaiah said that he saw all the children of Israel scattered upon the hills, 
like a flock of sheep that is lost, and has no shepherd. He meant that the Lord 
had shown him Ahab's army, as it would be after the battle, when Ahab himself 
would be killed and his army would have no one to lead them. 

Yet the king of Israel and the king of Judah went up to fight against the 
city. And Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, I will put on another dress, that no one 
may know me, and will go among the soldiers and fight in the battle, but put 
thou on thy royal robes and let them see thou art a king. Now, before the 
battle began, Benhadad,* king of Syria, had commanded all his captains to try 
and kill Ahab; and when they saw Jehoshaphat in his robes, they said, Surely 
it is king Ahab, and they came to fight against him. Then Jehoshaphat cried 
out ; and when they saw it was not Ahab, they turned back from following him. 

But a man in Benhadad^s army shot an arrow, not aiming at any one, nor 

knowing where it would strike, and the Lord made it strike Ahab and go in 

between the pieces of armor that covered his breast. Then Ahab said to the 

driver of his chariot, Turn back and carry me out of the host, for I am wounded. 

The battle lasted all that day, and Ahab was held up in his chariot that he 

might see it, and send orders to his soldiers, but he died in the evening. And 

about the time the sun "was going down, word was sent through all the host of 

Israel that every man should flee to his own home. 

152 




AHAB IS WOUNDED IX THE BATTLE, BUT STAYS UP IN HIS CHARIOT UNTIL EVEN. 

.. „„ i kings xxii. ;». 

loo 



Elijah is Taken up to Heater 

NOW the time had come when the Lord was going to take up Elijah to 
heaven, and Elijah went with his servant Elisha to a place called Gilgal. 
Elijah wanted to be alone when the Lord should take him up, so he said 
to Elisha, Stay here, I pray thee, at Gilgal, for the Lord has sent me to Bethel. 
But Elisha said, As surely as the Lord liveth, and as thou art living, I will not 
leave thee. So they went down to Bethel. And the young men who went to 
the schools that were taught by the prophets at Bethel, came to Elisha, and said 
to him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thee to-day ? 
He answered, Yes, I know it, hold ye your peace. 

And Elijah said to Elisha, Stay here at Bethel, I pray thee, for the Lord has 
sent me to Jericho. But Elisha "would not, so they came to Jericho. And the 
young men -who were in the schools of the prophets at Jericho, came to Elisha, 
and said to him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from 
thee to-day? He answered, Yes, I know it, hold ye your peace. 

And Elijah said to Elisha, Stay here, I pray thee, at Jericho, for the Lord 
has sent me to the river Jordan. But Elisha would not, and they two went on. 
And fifty young men from the schools of the prophets followed them, to look, 
a good way off. And Elijah and Elisha stood by the side of the river. Then 
Elijah took his mantle and wrapt it together, and struck the waters with it, and 
the waters were parted before them, so that they two went over on dry ground. 

When they had gone over, Elijah said to Elisha, Ask what I shall do for 
thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha asked that he might have 
more of God's Spirit in his heart, as Elijah had. Elijah answered, thou hast asked 
a hard thing; yet if thou see me when I am taken from thee, thou shalt have 
what thou askest for; but if not, thou shalt not have it. 

And as they walked on and talked together, behold, there came a chariot of 

fire, with horses of fire, that took Elijah away from Elisha, and he went up in 

the chariot to heaven. Elisha saw it, and cried out, My father, my father, the 

chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof. He called Elijah father, for so they 

called the prophets in those days. And he called, him the chariot of Israel and 

the horsemen thereof, because Elijah would have been better than chariots and 

horses to help the people and gain the victory for them over their enemies, if 

they had only been willing to obey him. And after that Elisha saw Elijah no 

more. And Elisha took up the mantle of Elijah, and with it he struck the waters 

of the river, and they parted for him, and he went over alone, on dry ground. 

154 




CHARIOT OF FIRE AND HORSES OF FIRE CARRY ELIJAH UP INTO II HAVEN. 

II KINGS II. 11. 

1.... 




Elisha Peophesies Victory oyer the Moabites. 

k S Elisha was going from Jericho to Bethel, there came forth children out of 
the city, and mocked him and cried after him, saying, Go up, thou bald 
head ; go up, thou bald head. So they made sport of him because he was 
bald, and told him to go up, as Elijah had gone up, when God took him to 
heaven. And Elisha turned back, and as he looked on them, asked the Lord to 
punish them for their sin. And there came forth two bears out of the wood, and 
tore forty-two children of them. 

After this Jehoram, king of Israel, gathered his army together to- fight 
against the Moabites. And he sent word to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, 
saying, The king of Moab has rebelled against me ; wilt thou go with me against 
him to battle ? Jehoshaphat answered, I will go : and the king of Edom also 
■went with them. So these three kings set out with their armies, and they 
marched seven days, and found no water for the host, or for the cattle that 
they had brought with them to eat by the way. Then the king of Israel was 
afraid, because his soldiers had no water to drink, and he said, Alas, the 
Moabites will gain the victory over us. 

ISTow Jehoram the king of Israel served idols, that could not help him ; but 
Jehoshaphat served the Lord, and he asked, saying, Is there no prophet here, 
who can inquire of the Lord for us what we shall do ? One of the king of 
Israel's servants answered, Elisha is here, who was the servant of Elijah. Jehosh- 
aphat said, He is a prophet of the Lord ; let us go to him. 

And the Lord commanded Elisha to tell the men of Israel to dig the valley, 
in which their camp was, full of ditches ; for the Lord said, that although there 
should be no wind or rain, yet the ditches should be filled with water, that they 
and their cattle might drink. And the Lord will not only do this for you, 
Elisha said, but he 'will give you the victory over the Moabites, and you shall 
destroy their cities, and cut down their trees, and fill up their -wells, and spoil 
the best of their land. And the words of Elisha came true, for the next morning 
the Lord caused water to flow into the valley, so that the ditches were filled 
with it. 

When the Moabites heard that the kings of Israel, of Judah, and of Edom, 
had come up against them, they gathered all their army together and came near 
the camp of Israel. And the sun shone on the water in the ditches, and made 
it look red. Then the Moabites thought that their enemies had been fighting 
with one another, and that this was their blood. And they said, Let us go and 
take the spoil they have left. So they came near the camp ; but when they saw 
the armies that were there, they were afraid and fled. And the men of Israel 
rose up and followed them, even into their own country. There they spoiled the 
land, and afterward came back to their own homes. 

156 




CHILDREN MOCK ELISHA, AND BEARS COME OUT OF THE WOOD AND TEAR THEM. 

±-- II Kings ii. 28. 



Elisha Foretells the End of the Siege. 



~\ ENEADAD, king of Syria, made war against Israel. He gathered his army 

J) together and went up to fight against the city of Samaria. His soldiers 

besieged it, and -would let no bread be brought in for the men of Israel, 

and there was a great famine in the city. And as king Jehoram walked among 

his soldiers on the top of the wall, a woman called out to him, saying, Help me, 

king ! He said, What aileth thee ? She answered, This woman who is with me, 
said to me the other day, Give thy little son, that we may eat him to-day, and 

1 will give my son to-morrow. So we killed my son and did eat him. And I 
said to her the next day, Give thy son that we may eat him ; and she w r ould not, 
but took him and hid him. 

"When king Jehoram heard the -words of the woman, he rent his clothes, for 
it grieved him to know that the famine -was so dreadful in the city, and that 
such a thing had been done among the people. But Jehoram -was a -wicked man, 
like Ahab, his father. It was for his sins, and the sins of the people, that God 
sent these troubles upon them. Jehoram should have repented, and asked God 
to take his troubles away. Instead of this, he blamed them on Elisha, and said 
that the prophet should be put to death that very day. But Elisha knew the 
king -would send a messenger to kill him. And -when the messenger came to his 
house, Elisha commanded the men -who were there to shut the door, that he 
might not come in. 

Then the king himself came to Elisha's house, leaning on the arm of one of 
his officers. And Elisha told them that the Lord said the famine should cease, 
and that on the morrow there would be plenty of food in the city. 

Now four men of the children of Israel, who -were lepers, sat together by the 
gate of the city. And they said to one another, Why do we sit here until -we 
starve? If we go into the city the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. 
If -we sit still here, we have nothing to eat, and we shall die here also. Now, 
therefore, come, let us go out to the army of the Syrians. If they do not kill us 
we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but die. And they rose up in the 
evening, and went out to the camp of the Syrians, but when they came to it 
no man was there. For the Lord had made the Syrians think that they heard 
the noise of chariots, and horses, and a great army, coming out against them 
Therefore they had risen up, as it grew dark, and left their tents and their 
horses, and everything that was in their camp, and fled for their lives. 

So the lepers -went back to the city, and called to the porters who -watched 
at the gate and told what they had seen. 

When the people heard it, they. went out to the camp of the Syrians, and 

brought away all the flour and the grain that the Syrians had left. So the 

famine was ended, and there -was plenty of food in the city. 

158 




THE SYRIANS BESIEGE SAMARIA, AXD THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY ARE WITHOUT FOOD. 

J59 II Kings VI. 2<i. 



Jehu is Anointed King of Israel. 



^ 



0¥ Jezebel, the wicked wife of Ahab, was living in the city of Jezreel, 
and Jehoram her son, the king of Israel, was there with her. 

And Elisha called a young man who was one of the sons of the prophets, 
and said to him, Carry some oil with thee, and go to the city of Ramoth-gilead, 
and there look for Jehu, who is a captain in the king of Israeli army. When 
thou hast found him, take him into a secret chamber alone, and pour the oil on 
his head, and say, The Lord has anointed thee to be king over Israel. Then 
open the door and flee, stay not. 

So the young man went to Ramoth-gilead and found there the captains of 
the army sitting together, and Jehu was with them. And the young man "went 
to them, and said, I have a message for thee, O captain. Jehu said, For -which 
one of us? The young man answered, For thee. 

Then Jehu rose up. and went with him into the house, and the young man 
poured the oil on his head, and said to him, Thus saith the Lord, I have 
anointed thee to be king over Israel. And after thou art made king, thou shalt 
put to death all who are left of the family of Ahab, that I may punish them 
for killing my prophets, and for the death of all my servants whom the wicked 
Jezebel has slain. For the whole family of Ahab shall be destroyed, as the 
family of Jeroboam was destroyed, till not one of them is left. And the dogs 
shall eat Jezebel in the city of Jezreel, and there shall be no one to bury her. 

When the young man had spoken these words to Jehu, he opened the door 
of the house and fled as Elisha had told him to do. 

And Jehu came out again to the captains of the army, and one of them 
asked him, saying, What did this mad fellow say to thee? He answered, He 
told me that the Lord anointed me to be king over Israel. Then the caxDtains 
all made haste and blew with trumpets, and cried out, Jehu is king! So they 
made Jehu king instead of Jehoram. 

And Jehu said to the captains, Let no one go to Jezreel to tell king Jehoram 

of what we have done, for^I myself will go there. Then Jehu made ready his 

chariot, and rode to Jezreel. 

160 




11 



JEZEBEL TS THROWN DOWN OUT OF A WINDOW. AND IS EATEX BY DOGS. 

] c,l JI Kings IX.38. 



Jehoeam and Jezebel aee Slain. 

JEHU rode in his chariot to the city of Jezreel. As he came near the city, 
the watchman who stood on the tower over the gate, saw him and the 
men who were with him. And the watchman told king Jehoram of it. 
Jehoram said, Send out a horseman to ask whether they are coming for peace or 
for war? So there went out a man on horseback to meet Jehu, and when he 
met him, he asked, Are you coming for peace or for war? But Jehu would not 
answer him ; he commanded the man to go behind his chariot, and follow after it. 

Then Jehoram sent out another man, who came and asked the same ques- 
tion. And Jehu -would not answer him, but commanded him also to go behind 
his chariot and follow after it. 

And the watchman at the gate of the city told the king that his servants 
staid -with the chariot and returned not again. And he said, the driving of the 
horses is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi ; for he drives furiously. 

When Jehoram saw that the men did not come' back to tell what Jehu said, 
he got into his chariot, and rode out himself to meet him. And he came to him 
and said, Is it peace, Jehu? Jehu answered, How can there be peace while the 
sins of thy mother Jezebel are so many. 

When Jehoram heard this, he turned the horses of his chariot to flee, for he 
saw that Jehu had come to fight against him. But Jehu drew a bow with all 
his might, and shot an arrow at Jehoram, that went into his heart, and he fell 
down dead in his chariot. 

Then Jehu commanded his captain to throw Jehoram's dead body out on the 
ground. The place where he threw it was in a vineyard that Ahab, Jehoram's 
father, had taken from Naboth ; for Naboth's vineyard "was at the city of Jezreel. 

Then Jehu came into the city. And Jezebel, Jehoram's mother, heard of it, 

and she put on her ornaments, and painted her face, and looked out at a 

■window. And as Jehu came in at the gate of the city, she spoke to him. But 

he looked up at the window, and said to the men in the house with her, Who 

is on my side? And there looked out to him two or three officers. Then Jehu 

said to them. Throw her down. So they threw her down, and her blood was 

sprinkled on the wall, and the horses of Jehu's chariot trod her under their feet. 

After Jehu had come out of his chariot, arid had eaten and drunk, he said to his 

servants, Go, see now where the dead body of this wicked woman is, and bury 

her, for she was a king's daughter. And they went to bury her, but could find only 

her skull and her feet and the palms of her hands, for the dogs had eaten her flesh. 

162 




THE SERVANTS OF JEHU FIND THE REMAINS OF JEZEBEL. 

163 



II Kings IX. 35. 



The Prophet Amos Foeetells the Captivity. 

JEHU caused all the family of Ahab to be put to death, as the Lord had com- 
manded. Yet Jehu did not do these things because he wanted to obey the 
Lord, but like Baasha, who slew the family of Jeroboam, Jehu did them because 
he wanted to be great, and to make himself king. For he took no care in other 
things, to obey the Lord with all his heart, but did wickedly like the kings who 
had lived before him. He reigned for twenty-eight years; and he died, and 
Jehoahaz his son was made king over Israel. 

Jehoahaz disobeyed God as his father had done, and God was angry with 
him and the people of Israel. He sent against them Hazael, king of Syria, who 
destroyed the army of Israel. Jehoahaz reigned seventeen years and when he 
died, Jehoash his son was. made king. 

Jehoash fought against the Syrians and gained the victory over them three 
times, but he was not able wholly to destroy them. Jehoash was king for six- 
teen years, and he died, and they buried him in the city of Samaria ; and Jero- 
boam, his son, was made king in his place. 

The Lord was kind to Jeroboam and the people of Israel, for he saw the suffer- 
ings which their enemies caused them, and he pitied them. He helped Jeroboam 
as he had helped Jehoash, his father, in fighting against the Syrians, so that Jero- 
boam took from them two of their cities, Damascus and Hamath. But the men of 
Israel did not thank God for his kindness; although he helped them in their 
trouble, and saved them from their enemies, they still worship p ed the golden calves. 

Then the Lord sent Amos the prophet to speak to them. Amos came and 
said, that they were the only peoiole in all the earth whom the Lord had chosen 
for his own, yet instead of serving him, they served idols, and disobeyed his 
commandments. They were cruel to the poor, they deceived and robbed one 
another when they sold corn and wheat, they hated those persons who did justly 
and told the truth, but took bribes from the wicked and allowed them to go on 
in their wickedness. 

The Lord had seen all their sins, Amos said, and had kept back the rain 

from their fields, and sent famine and pestilence into their land, to show them 

he was angry; still they would not turn from their evil ways. Therefore a 

greater punishment should be sent upon them. There would be weeping and 

wailing in their streets and their vineyards; for an enemy should come who 

would gain the victory over them, and treat them cruelly, and they should be: 

carried away captives to other lands. 

164 




THE PROPHET AMOS. 



165 



Amos. 



The Ten Tribes are Carried away Captive. 

7CFTER Jeroboam, the son of Jehoash, other kings reigned over the ten tribes 
jt*\_ of Israel. All of them did evil, for they worshipped idols and disobeyed 
the commandments of God. 

For a long time the people of Israel had been doing wickedly; ever since 
they separated from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin and made a kingdom of 
their own, they had been sinning against God. For instead of {loing as he tanght 
them, they chose to do as the heathen nations did that lived around them. 
Those nations would not serve God, because he commanded them to be pure 
and holy; they served false gods, who, they pretended, allowed them to do 
everything that was wicked. 

The Bible tells us they worshipped their false gods in the high places. 
These were places where altars and images were set up. The heathen people 
made them on mountains and hills, and there they worshipped their false gods. 
And the people of Israel did like them. They, too, made high places on the 
mountains and hills, and they made them in their cities also. And there the 
people burnt incense and offered sacrifice to the idols. They kindled fires also, 
as the heathen nations used to do, and made their sons and their daughters go 
through the fires and be burned, because, they said, the idols would be pleased at it. 

And God was very angry with the people of Israel for these things. Yet he 
waited long for them to turn from evil ways; as we have read, he sent famine 
and pestilence and war into their land to show them he was angry. When they 
still continued to disobey him, he sent his prophets to warn them. 

We have been told how those prophets came and preached to the people, 
telling them of the punishment that was coming upon them, and begging them 
to repent and cease doing evil, so that God might forgive them and keep them 
for his children: but they "would not. 

So at last God did to them what his prophets had said he would do. He 
drove the people of Israel out of Canaan, as he had driven out the heathen 
nations that lived there before them. For the king of Assyria, went through 
all the land of Israel, and took the people and carried them away captive to 
the land of Assyria. There he gave them cities to live in; but he would not 
let them come back to the land of Israel again. 

So the kingdom of Israel was ended. It had lasted two hundred and fifty- 
four years, ever since the ten tribes chose Jeroboam for their king. Nineteen 
kings had ruled over them during that time, every one of whom did evil and 
disobeyed the Lord. And the king of Assyria sent people from his own land to 
live in the cities of Israel, where the ten tribes had lived; and they came and 
lived there, and took those cities for their own. But we do not read that the 

ten tribes ever returned, and no one can tell what afterward became of them. 

166 




THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL MOURN IX CAPTIVITY UNDER THE ASSYRIANS. 

167 



The Kingdom of Judah. 

^npfHE story of the kingdom of Israel has been finished, and we will now go back 
two hundred and fifty-four years, to begin the story of the kingdom of Judah. 
"We have read that Rehoboam, Solomon's son, was made king over the 
tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and that he lived at Jerusalem, where the temple 
"was which his father had built. Jeroboam would not allow the people of the 
ten tribes to go to Jerusalem to worship at the temple, as God had commanded ; 
but he set up two golden calves in that part of the land where the ten tribes 
lived, and taught the people to worship them. 

Yet the priests and the Levites who were living among the ten tribes at 
that time, would not worship the golden calves. They came, with many other 
persons, to live at Jerusalem, and chose Rehoboam for their king. And they 
made his kingdom greater and stronger by coming because there were so many 
of them, and because they were the ones whom the Lord would bless. And for 
three years Rehoboam and his people did what was right, and obeyed the Lord. 

But when he grew rich and strong, and was no longer in fear that his 
kingdom would be taken from him, he ceased obeying the Lord. For he and 
all the people of Judah, began to worship idols, and like the people of Israel, 
they built high places in the cities, and on every high hill, and there they set 
up their idols and worshipped them. Then the Lord sent the kings of other 
nations against them, who came with chariots and horsemen, and took many 
cities in the land. 

After Rehoboam died other kings ruled over the men of Judah. Some did 
"what was right, but most of them did evil, and enemies from other countries 
came and fought against them. And God sent prophets to tell them that, 
because of their sins, he was very angry with them. 

One of the kings of Judah was named Asa. He did what was right and 
pleased the Lord. Asa had an army of three hundred thousand men out of the 
tribe of Judah that carried shields and spears, and of two hundred and eight}' 
thousand out of the tribe of Benjamin that carried bows and arrows ; all these 
were brave soldiers. Yet the king of Ethiopia made war against him with an 
army much greater than his. And Asa came out to the battle, and he cried to 
the Lord, and said, It is no trouble for thee to help us whether we have many 
soldiers or few ; help us, O Lord our God, for in thy name we go out against this 
great multitude. O Lord, let them not gain the victory over us. So the Lord 
helped the men of Judah in the battle and gave them the victory. 

After these things the Lord sent a prophet -who spoke to them, saying, Hear 

me, Asa, and all you men of Judah and Benjamin : The Lord will be with you, to 

help you, as long as you shall serve him ; but if you forsake him he "will forsake 

you. Therefore fear not to do what is right, and you shall be rewarded. 

168 




THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 
109 



Isaiah. 



Joash is Anointed King. 

7VLTHOTTGH the prophets warned the kings of Judah not to worship idols; 

.i-^jL. and told them that God would surely send enemies to punish them if 

they did not obey his laws, many of them continued to do what was evil. 

One of these wicked kings "was Ahaziah. When he had reigned only one 
year he went to Jezreel, to visit Jehoram, king of Israel, and was killed there by 
the followers of Jehu. Afterward the servants of Ahaziah brought his dead body 
in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him there, in the sepulchre of the kings. 

When his mother, whose name was Athaliah, saw that he was dead, she took 
Ahaziah's sons (who were her own grandchildren), and slew them to make her- 
self queen. But one of his sons, a little boy named Joash, was stolen away from 
her and hidden with his nurse in the temple. He was hidden there six years, 
for Jehoiada, the high priest, watched over him, and Athaliah, the queen, knew 
nothing of it. But when the six years were ended, Jehoiada showed him to the 
Levites and told them that he ought to be king. And the priests and Levites 
talked in secret together, and agreed to make Joash king. 

Now there were at the temple some spears and shields that had belonged to 
king David; these the priests gave to the Levites. And on the day that the 
high priest appointed, the Levites came to the temple, and kept guard all 
around it with their spears in their hands, that no one might go in. And they 
brought Joash, who was but seven years old, out of the chamber where he was 
hidden, and pouring oil on his head, they anointed him ; and they put the crown 
upon his head, and made him king over Judah: then they clapped their hands, 
and cried, God save the king! 

When the queen heard the noise of the people, running and shouting, she 

came to the temple and looked in, and saw the king, standing by a pillar, with 

the crown on his head. The princes of the land stood by him, and all the 

people rejoiced, and blew on trumpets, and the singers in the temple sang to 

instruments of music. Then the queen was angry; she rent her clothes, and 

cried out, Here is rebellion! Here is rebellion! But the high priest said to the 

Levites, Take her out from the temple, for she must not be slain in the house 

of the Lord. So they took hold of her and brought her out, near to the king's 

palace, and slew her there. 

170 




ATHALIAH IS SLAIN. 
171 



II KiN-r;s XI. 11. 



Judah is Sated from the Assyrians. 

SENNACHERIB, king of Assyria, came into Judah with, his army, and took 
some of the cities of the land. 

Now Hezekiah was king of Judah at this time. He was a good man, 
and served the Lord, for as soon as he had been made king he opened the doors 
of the temple, which his father Ahaz had shut up, and he called the priests and 
Levites who had been sent away from the temple, to come and cleanse it and 
put it in order, so that God might be worshipped there again. 

As soon as Hezekiah heard that the Assyrians- had come to tight against 
him, he built up the walls of Jerusalem, where they had been broken down, and 
made shields and darts in abundance. And he gathered the men of Judah 
together, and set captains over them and spoke to them, saying, Be strong and 
brave, fear not the king of Assyria or the multitude that is with him, for there 
are more on our side than on his. He has men to fight for him, but we have 
God to fight for us. Nevertheless, Hezekiah, because he was afraid of the king 
of Assyria, sent him a great deal of gold and silver so that he should not fight 
any more against Judah. Then the king of Assyria took the gold and silver and 
returned to his own land. . But afterward he wickedly came back with his army 
into the land of Judah, and made war against it. 

And he stopped at a city called Lachish, to besiege it, but he sent his ser- 
vants on before him to Jerusalem to tell the x^eople he was coming there also. 
When Hezekiah heard this, he rent his clothes, and he sent priests and elders to 
Isaiah the prophet, asking him to pray for the people. Then Isaiah sent word 
to king Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the Lord ; Be not afraid of the words which 
the king of Assyria has spoken against me ; for I will send a great punishment 
upon him, and he shall turn and go back, to his own land, and there I will cause 
him to be put to death with the sword. So Hezekiah would not obey the 
command of the king of Assyria to give up the city. 

Then the king of Assyria sent his servants to Hezekiah with a letter, saying, 
Do not let thy God make thee believe that I cannot take Jerusalem. Thou hast 
heard how the kings of Assyria have destroyed other nations; their gods were 
not able to save them, and can thy God save thee? 

When Hezekiah read the letter he was in great trouble, and he took it and 
went up to the temple and there sioread it open before the Lord. And Hezekiah 
prayed that the Lord would save them from the Assyrians. 

And the Lord heard Hezekiah's prayer, and in the night sent his destroying 
angel into the camp of the Assyrians, and the angel slew a hundred and eighty- 
five thousand of them. Then the king of Assyria went back with shame to his 
own land. There, while he was worshipping in the house of his idol, two of his 

own sons put him to death. So the Lord saved the people of Judah. 

172 




IX THE NIGHT THE ANGEL OF THE LORD SMOTE THE CAMP OE THE ASSYRIANS. 

u Kings XIX. :t- r >. 



1 



to 



The Prophet Micah. 



T~ 7"LN"G Hezekiah had great riches and honor. He made for himself treasuries, 
/ \_ or strong chambers, in which to keep his gold and silver, his jewels and 
precious stones. He built storehouses also for his corn and wine and oil: 
and made stalls for his horses and cattle, and cotes, or pens, for his flocks of 
sheep ; for he had great numbers of all these things. And the Lord helped him 
so that he prospered in all that he did. 

Yet Hezekiah did not keep humble and thankful to God, for his blessings; 
he grew proud of his riches and power. And the king of Babylon heard of his 
greatness, and sent messengers with letters and a present for him. When the 
messengers came to Jerusalem, Hezekiah received them gladly, and in his pride, 
showed them his silver and gold, his horses and armor, and all the great things 
of his kingdom. 

Then Isaiah the prophet came to Hezekiah, and said, What did these men 
say? and from whence did they come? Hezekiah answered, They came from a 
far country, from Babylon. And Isaiah said, What have they seen in thy house? 
Hezekiah answered, All that is in my house they have seen; there is nothing 
among my treasures that I have not shown them. Then Isaiah said, Hear what 
the Lord says to thee, The day is coming when all the riches that are in thy 
house, which thou and thy fathers have laid up, shall be carried to Babylon; 
nothing shall be left. And some of thy own descendants also, shall they take 
away and make them servants in the palace of the king of Babylon. Hezekiah 
answered, All that the Lord will do is right; yet it is good in him not to send 
these troubles while I live, but to send peace and truth in my days. 

Hezekiah had persuaded the people to put away their idols and serve the 
Lord, but they did this only for a time, and then went back to serving idols 
again. And God sent the prophet Micah to s}3eak to them. Micah came and 
said, That God asked -what he had done to make them weary of serving him. 
He had brought them up out of Egypt, from being servants to Pharaoh, and had 
sent Moses and Aaron to guide them through the wilderness. And afterward, 
when the king of Moab sent for Balaam to curse them, he made Balaam bless 
them instead? And "what did the Lord ask of the children of Israel, except to 
do justly, to be kind and merciful to each other, and humble and obedient to 
the Lord. 

But they would not do this, Micah said. Their rich men were cruel to those 
who were poor; their judges, who should punish the wicked, -were wicked 
themselves. On account of these things, Micah told them, the Lord would send 
a great punishment upon them. The peojDle should be carried away to Babylon, 
and Jerusalem, their beautiful city, should be destroyed, and instead of houses in 
it there would be only heaps of stones. 

174 




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10 



Baeuch Reads the Peophecy of Jeeemiah. 



¥EZEKIAH was king over Judah for twenty-nine years, and he died. Many 
of the kings who ruled after him did evil, worshipping carved images 
and offering up sacrifices to them. They made spoons and forks and 
vessels, to he used in offering up sacrifices to Baal, and they took these things 
into the temple. They set up an idol, also, in the court of the temple, and 
appointed men as priests, to burn incense to it, and burnt offerings. 

After these things, while a king named Jehoahaz ruled over the people of 
Judah, Pharaoh, king of Egypt, came up against them. He took Jehoahaz and 
bound him with fetters, and carried him away to Egypt: there he kept him 
until he died ; and Pharaoh made Jehoiakim, the brother of Jehoahaz, king in 
his place. But he forced Jehoiakim, and the people of Judah, to pay him a 
great sum of money — a hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold. After 
Pharaoh had gone, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came up against Judah, 
and Jehoiakim was not able to fight against him, so he promised to obey him 
and be his servant. And Nebuchadnezzar took some of the sacred vessels out of 
the temple, and carried them to Babylon, and put them in the house of his idol 
there. 

In the fourth year that Jehoiakim was king, the Lord spoke to the prophet 
Jeremiah and commanded him to write down in a book all the punishments 
that were coming on the children of Israel. For the Lord said, that when the 
people should hear of those punishments, perhaps they would repent, so that he 
might, even yet, forgive them. And Jeremiah called to him a man named 
Baruch, who was a scribe, or writer; and Baruch wrote down the words as 
Jeremiah spoke them. Afterward Jeremiah told him to go and read them to 
the people. Then Baruch took the book up to the temple and read it, where 
all the people could hear. 

The princes who sat in the king's palace, heard of the book, so they sent for 
Baruch to come and read it to them. And they told king Jehoiakim of the book, 
and his servant brought it and read it before him and before all the princes 
■who stood beside him. Now the king sat by the fire that was burning on the 
hearth, for it was winter. And as soon as his servant had read three or four 
leaves of the book, the king took his penknife and cut them out, and threw 
them into the fire; so he did till all the book was burned. And he was not 
troubled or afraid, but "was angry at Jeremiah and Baruch for writing the book, 
and sent his servants to take them, but the Lord hid them from him. 

Then the Lord commanded Jeremiah to take another roll and write in it all 
the words that were written in the one which the king had burned. And Jere- 
miah took another roll and gave it to Baruch, and repeated to him the words 
that had been written in the first roll, and beside these many more that the 
Lord spoke to him. But the people hated Jeremiah for telling them of their 
sins, and he complained to the Lord, saying, Though I have done them no evil, 
yet every one of them doth curse me. Then the Lord promised that when the 
enemies of Jerusalem should come to take the city, they should not harm Jere- 
miah : Truly, the Lord said, I will cause them to treat thee kindly. 

176 




12 



BARUCH WRITES DOWN FROM THE MOUTH OF JEREMIAH THE WORDS OF THE LORD. 

i-- Jekkmiaii XXXVI. 4. 



Jeeemiah Tells the King to Giye tip the City. 

JEHOIAKIM reigned eleven years, and he died, and Jehoiachin, his son, was 
made king in his place. Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he was 
made king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. 

Then Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came up against him, as he had come 
up against his father. And Jehoiachin promised to obey him. Then Nebuchad- 
nezzar went into the temple, as he did when he came up before, and carried out 
more of the vessels of gold which Solomon made, and he cut them in pieces ; he 
came also into the king's palace and took away the treasures that were there. 
• And he took king Jehoiachin, his mother, his wives, and the princes of Judah ; 
also the builders, the smiths, and the carpenters, and all the strong and brave 
soldiers that were in Jerusalem, and carried them to Babylon. 

After they had gone to Babylon, the prophet Jeremiah wrote a letter to 
them, telling them to build houses, and plant gardens, and be contented in 
that land, because the Lord said they should stay there and serve the king of 
Babylon for seventy years.' But when the seventy years were ended, and they 
should repent of their sins and pray to be forgiven, then, Jeremiah said, the Lord 
would bring them back to their own land. 

As for the people who were still left in the land of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar 
made Zedekiah, the brother of Jehoiakim, king over them. But Zedekiah "was 
the servant of the king of Babylon, and had to promise before the Lord that he 
would obey him. Yet, after Nebuchadnezzar had gone back to Babylon, Zedekiah 
rebelled against him; the priests and the people of Judah, also, did wickedly. 
Then Nebuchadnezzar came up again with all the army of the Chaldeans, and 
made forts around Jerusalem, from which they shot darts and arrows at the 
men of Judah, who "were on the walls and towers of the city; and Jerusalem 
was besieged, so that no one could go out or come in. 

Now Jeremiah, the prophet, was shut up in Jerusalem, with the rest of the 
people, and king Zedekiah, because he was afraid of the Chaldeans, sent word to 
him, asking him to pray to God that Jerusalem might be saved. But the Lord 
commanded Jeremiah to tell the king, that the Chaldeans should certainly take 
the city and burn it with tire. Yet Jeremiah said, if the people -would bear the 
punishment which the Lord was sending upon them, and "would go out to the 
king of Babylon and be his servants, without righting any more against him, 
they should not be put to death. But whoever stayed in the city, would be 
killed by the sword, the famine, or the pestilence. 

Now because Jeremiah told the people that Jerusalem -would surely be taken, 
some of the princes of Judah said that he made the people afraid, and they took 
him and. let him down with cords into a deexo pit, or dungeon, that was in the 
prison; at the bottom of the dungeon -was mire, so Jeremiah sank in the mire. 
But afterward, Zedekiah commanded them to bring Jeremiah out of the dungeon ; 
and the king brought him into the entry of the temple, where he might ques- 
tion him secretly. And Jeremiah answered the king, saying, Thus saith the 
Lord, If thou wilt go out to the king of Babylon, and be his servant, thou and 
thy family shall be saved alive. But if thou refuse to go out, thy wives and thy 
children shall be given to the Chaldeans, and thou thyself shalt not escape. 

178 




JERUSALEM IS TAKEN" AXD THE SOXS OF KING ZEDEKIAH ARE SLAIN BEFORE HIS EYES. 

1 TQ Jekemiau XXXIX. «. 



Nebuchadnezzar Takes Jeeusalem. 

THE prophet Jeremiah told king ZecLekiah that if he would go out to the 
king of Babylon, and be his servant, Jerusalem would not be destroyed; 
and that he, and his family should be saved alive. But Zedekiah said, I 
am afraid if I shall go out to the Chaldeans, that they will give me back to 
the Jews (that is, to the men of Judah) who have turned against me, and that 
they will treat me cruelly. Jeremiah answered, The Chaldeans shall not give 
thee back to them. Do not be afraid, but obey, I beseech thee, the command 
of the Lord, so that it may be well with thee, and thou shalt be saved alive- 
But if thou refuse to go out to the king of Babylon, thy wives and thy children 
shall be given to the Chaldeans, and thou thyself shalt not escape from them, 
and this city also shall be burned with fire. 

But king Zedekiah would not obey the command of the Lord, and go out 
to the king of Babylon. ' Therefore the Chaldeans fought against Jerusalem, and 
after they had besieged it for eighteen months the bread was all gone in the 
city; there was no more left for the people to eat. And in the night Zedekiah 
fled out of the city with his army. But the Chaldeans followed after him and 
caught him, and brought him to the king of Babylon. Then that cruel king 
killed Zedekiah's sons, before his eyes; after he had done this he put out Zede- 
kiah's eyes, and bound him with chains and carried him to Babylon. There he 
kept him in prison till he died. 

And the captain of Nebuchadnezzar's army burnt the temple at Jerusalem, 
and the palace of the king, and the houses of the people, and broke down the 
■walls all around the city. He carried away to Babylon the two pillars of brass, 
which Solomon had made to stand before the temple, and the sea of brass that 
stood on the backs of twelve oxen in the court of the temple, and whatever 
vessels of gold and silver were still left there. And the people of Jerusalem 
who were not slain, he carried away captive, except some of the poor of the 
land, whom he left to work in the fields and vineyards. Over these Nebuchad- 
nezzar set Gedaliah to be their governor. 

So the kingdom of Judah was ended, as the kingdom of Israel had been, on 
account of the sins of the people. It had lasted three hundred and eighty-eight 
years, ever since Rehoboam was made king over the tribes of Judah and Benja- 
min ; nineteen kings' and one queen had ruled over the people during that time ; 
of these, we are told, that fifteen did wickedly and five served the Lord. But 
even when they had good kings, the people -worshipped idols. And though the 
Lord waited long, and gave them time to repent, and sent his prophets to warn 
and persuade them, they would not obey him, and cease doing evil. Therefore, . 
at last, he sent the people of Judah, as he had before sent the people of Israel, 
out of the land of Canaan. 

180 




THE PEOPLE OF JERUSALEM MOURN OVER THE DESTRUCTION OF THEIR CITY. 

1 <_>i Jeremiah XXXIX. 8. 



3 



The Captiyes by the Riyer Chebar. 

EFORE Zedekiah "was made king in Jerusalem, and during the reign of 
Jehoiachin, we have read that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came up 
and besieged the city. And Jehoiachin, because he was afraid of Nebu- 
chadnezzar, "went out to him and promised to berths servant. Then Nebuchad- 
nezzar took Jehoiachin, his mother, his wives, and the princes of Judah; the 
builders also, and carpenters, and all the strong and brave soldiers that were in 
Jerusalem, and carried them away as captives. 

Yet Nebuchadnezzar did not at that time destroy Jerusalem, nor take all the 
people away ; he left some of them and made Zedekiah their king. But he took 
many of the Jews to his own land, and there gave them a place where they 
might live by the river Chebar. The Lord allowed Nebuchadnezzar to take 
them, because he "was punishing them for their sins. Yet even after they had 
been carried away captive, the Jews "would not obey the Lord. 

Now among the captives by the river Chebar, was a priest named Ezekiel. 
And in the fifth year after they were carried away, Ezekiel had a vision. He 
looked, and behold a whirlwind came out of the north, and with the "whirlwind 
a cloud; and out of the midst of the cloud came four cherubim. Above the 
wings of the cherubim was a throne, and on the throne Ezekiel saw a form like 
the form of a man, yet not made of flesh; it seemed to be of fire, or as if fire 
"were burning within it: and around it "were bright colors like a rainbow. This 
form that Ezekiel saw, sitting upon a throne, "with a rainbow" around it, was a 
likeness of the glory of the Lord. And "when he saw it he turned away his eyes, 
and fell on his face to the ground. 

And the Lord said to him, Stand upon thy feet. When he had risen up, the 
Lord commanded him to go and speak to the Jews who were captives "with him 
by the river Chebar. I send thee to them, the Lord said, because they are a 
disobedient people; both they and their fathers have disobeyed me. Yet thou 
shalt tell them my message whether they will hear or whether they will not 
hear. And be not thou afraid of them, though they be fierce as serpents and 
scorpions; or like briars and thorns that would tear thy flesh; fear them not,, 
for I will make thee strong and brave when thou standest before them, and 
thou shalt speak all the "words that I tell thee to speak against them. 

Ezekiel then spoke to the people, and showed them by signs "what would 

happen to Jerusalem ; how Nebuchadnezzar would come up "with his army against 

the city, and build forts around it, and besiege it for many days, and at last 

destroy the city. And some of the captives to whom Ezekiel "was speaking, 

came and said, If the Lord is determined to destroy us for the sins we have 

done, what can we do, and who can save us ? Ezekiel answered them, This yon 

can do: Repent of your sins and cease doing evil. 

182 




EZEKIEL PROPHESIES THE FALL OF JERUSALEM TO THE PEOPLE BY THE RIVER CHEBAR. 

183 I /IKIEL I. 1. 




The Captives Heae that Jerusalem is Destroyed. 

~FTER Ezekiel had prophesied to the captives by the river Chebar, and had 
told them that Jerusalem would surely be destroyed, there came a man 
who had escaped out of Jerusalem, to Ezekiel, and told him that the city 
had been taken by king Nebuchadnezzar. Then, ■when the captives heard this, 
they knew that Ezekiel had told them only the "words that the Lord had 
spoken to him, for now all those words had come true. The king of Babylon 
had broken down the walls of their city, and burned it with fire. 

And yet, although the Lord had sent all these troubles upon the children of 
Israel, he did not mean wholly to destroy them, but only to punish them for a 
time, and until they should repent; then he intended to bless them and take 
them for his pjeople again. And he commanded Ezekiel to tell them, that the 
day was coming when he would seek for them in all the lands where they were 
carried away captive, as a shepherd seeks for his sheep that are lost, and that he 
would bring them back to their own land. 

And again the Lord showed Ezekiel a vision. Ezekiel thought that he was 
carried out into a valley where the ground was covered with dead men's bones. 
And he walked about among the bones and looked on them, and saw they had 
no flesh on them, but were very dry. And the Lord spoke to him and asked 
him, saying, Can these bones be made alive again? Ezekiel answered, O Lord 
God, thou knowest. The Lord said to him, Speak to them and say, O ye dry 
bones, listen to the command of the Lord; for he says that flesh shall come 
upon you, and breath shall come into you, and you shall live. 

So Ezekiel spoke the words that the Lord commanded. After he had spoken, 
he heard a noise among the bones, and saw a shaking among them; they began 
to move and come together, each bone to the one it belonged to. And as soon 
as they had come together, flesh grew upon them, and skin, until the bones all 
became bodies again. But there "was no breath in them, they were still dead. 

Then the Lord spoke to Ezekiel and commanded him to speak to the winds, 
and say, Come ye winds and blow upon these dead bodies, that they may have 
breath, and live. And Ezekiel spoke to the winds, and the winds blew upon 
the dead bodies and breath came into them, and they breathed and were alive; 
and they all stood up on their feet like a very great army. 

Then the Lord explained to Ezekiel why he had shown him this vision, and 
what it meant. He told him that all the people of Israel complained because of 
their punishment and their trouble; they said they were like bones that were 
dry and dead, and that they had lost all hope of ever being happy, or of seeing 
their own land again. But the Lord said he would raise them up out of their 
troubles, as he had raised those dry bones to life, and that he would bring them 
back to their own land. 

184 




THE PROPHET EZEKIEL'S VISION OF THE VALLEY OF DRY BONES. 

1 „_ EZEKIEL XXXVII. 1. 



Daniel will not Eat the King's Food. 

WHEN king Nebuchadnezzar was in Jerusalem, he commanded the chief 
of his officers to choose some of the princes of the children of Israel, 
that he might take them to be servants in his palace at Babylon. 
None should be chosen, the king said, who had any fault in them, but only such 
as were young and beautiful and quick to learn. For he wanted them to be 
taught in all the wisdom of the Chaldeans, and to learn also the language that 
the Chaldeans spoke. After they had been instructed in these things for three 
years, they were to come to the palace, and stay there and wait on the king. 

Among those that were chosen by the chief officer, were four young men, 
named Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These four were brought to 
Babylon, and teachers were set over them, that they might be taught as king 
Nebuchadnezzar commanded. And the king sent them, each day, meat and wine 
from his own table, intending so to feed them until they should come to live at 
the palace, and wait upon him. 

Now the Chaldeans worshipped idols, and offered up sacrifices of animals, 
and drink offerings of wine, to them ; and they ate of the sacrifices and drank of 
the wine that had been offered to their idols. But Daniel did not wish to eat 
what had been offered to idols, lest he might offend the Lord; and, beside, some 
of the animals that the Chaldeans ate, the Lord had commanded the children of 
Israel not to eat; they were called unclean. Therefore Daniel, and the young 
men who were with him, would not eat of the meat nor drink of the wine. 

And Daniel spoke to the chief officer, who had the care of him, about this 
thing, and asked his permission not to eat the food which the king sent. Now 
the Lord had made the chief officer love Daniel, yet he dared not do as Daniel 
asked him ; he answered, saying, I am afraid it will displease the king, who sends 
you your meat and your drink. For if, after a while, he should see your faces 
look paler and thinner than the faces of the other young men who eat food 
from the king's table, he may be angry with me, and put me to death. 

And the chief officer gave Daniel and his friends to the care of the steward. 
Then Daniel came and asked the steward; he said, Try us, I beseech thee, ten 
days: give us, for that time, only pulse (that is, vegetables) to eat, and water to 
drink. Afterward look at our faces and at the faces of the other young men, and 
if we look not as well as they, then give us "whatever thou shalt think best to eat. 

So the steward gave them pulse for ten days, and at the end of that time 
their faces were fatter and fairer than the faces of all the other young men who 
ate food from the king's table. Then he took away the meat and the wine that 
were sent to them, and gave them only pulse to eat. And God helped these 
four young men to get knowledge and wisdom, and he made Daniel to under- 
stand visions and dreams. 

186 




DANIEL IS TAKEN TO BABYLON BY KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR. 



1*7 



Daniel I. 3. 



Nebuchadnezzar Sets up a Golden Image. 



N 



EBUCHADNEZZAR, the king, made an image of gold, and set it up on a 
plain in the province of Babylon. Then the king sent and called the 
princes, the governors, the captains, the judges, and all the rulers of his 
kingdom; and these great men came and "were gathered together before the 
image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then one of the king's servants called 
out in a loud voice to them, and said, It is commanded that so soon as you. hear 
the sound of the harp, the flute, the trumpet, and all kinds of music, you shall 
fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar, the king, has set 
up. And "whosoever falleth not down and worshippeth, shall that same hour be 
cast into the midst of a burning, fiery furnace. Then the king commanded the 
musicians to play, and as soon as the people heard the sound of the music, they 
all fell down and worshipped the golden image. 

But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, would not worship the idol, and 
when they were brought before the king they said to him, We are not afraid to 
tell thee what we will do in this matter. If thou wilt cast us into the burning, 
fiery furnace, our God, whom we serve, is able to save us from death, and he will 
save us out of thy hand, O king. Yet even if he let us burn, we tell thee, O 
king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image that thou 
hast set up. 

Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury. He looked in fierce anger on Sha- 
drach, Meshach, and Abednego, and said to his servants that they should heat the 
furnace seven times hotter than it was heated before. And he commanded the 
most mighty soldiers in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and 
cast them into it. Then these three men were bound, in their coats, their hats, 
and their other garments, and were thrown into the burning, fiery furnace. And 
because the furnace was exceeding hot, and the king made them go near to it, 
the flame killed the men who cast Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in; and 
these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down, bound, into the 
midst of the fire. But soon they rose up, and walked in the fire ; for God would 
not let it burn them. 

Then Nebuchadnezzar, the king, was astonished, and he said in haste to the 
rulers and great men who were "with him, Did we not cast three men bound 
into the midst of the fire? They answered, We did, O king. And he said, Lo, I 
see four men loose and walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt. 
And the form Of the fourth is like the Son of God. Then Nebuchadnezzar came 
near to the mouth of the burning, fiery furnace, and cried out and said, Shadrach, 
Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the Most High God, come out and come 
here. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the midst of the fire. 
And the princes, the governors, and the captains, who were gathered together, 
saw these men whom the fire had not hurt, nor was a hair of their heads burned, 
neither "were their coats changed, nor was the smell of the fire upon them. 

After this the king made Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego greater than 
they had been before. 

188 




SHADRACH, MESHACH AND ABEDNEGO IN THE FIERY FURNACE. 



189 



Daniel HI. 23. 



Babylon is Taken by the Medes and Persians. 

NEBUCHADNEZZAR, king of Babylon, died and Belshazzar reigned in his 
place. And he made a feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine 
v^ith them in his palace. 

Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded his servants to bring the 
gold and silver vessels which his father, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken out of the 
temple in Jerusalem. Then they brought the golden vessels, and the king and 
his princes, and his wives, drank out of them. They drank wine, and praised 
their idols of gold and silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. 

And "while they were feasting, and making merry, there came a man's hand, 
and "wrote -words upon the wall of the king's palace, in the room "where the king 
and his lords held their feast. But the "writing "was in a language they could 
not understand. And the king saw the hand that "wrote. Then his face "was 
changed, for his thoughts troubled him and he was filled "with fear, so that his 
knees trembled and smote one against another. And he cried out aloud to his 
servants, that they should bring in the -wise men before him. When the wise 
men came, he said to them, Whoever shall read this writing, and tell the 
interpretation of it, shall be clothed -with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about 
his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. But none of the wise 
men could read the -writing or tell the interpretation. Then the king "was 
troubled yet more, and his lords were astonished at "what had been done. 

Now the queen, when she heard "what the king had said, came in before him 
and spoke to him, saying, O king, live forever; let not thy thoughts trouble thee, 
nor let thy face be sad. There is a man in thy kingdom in -whom is the Spirit 
of the holy Gods, and in the days when thy father, Nebuchadnezzar, lived great 
"wisdom was found in him. Let Daniel be called, and he will tell the interpretation. 

Then was Daniel brought in before Belshazzar. And he told the king that 
because he had been proud, and had sinned against God, and had brought the 
vessels of his temple and drank wine in them, and had worshipped idols of silver 
and gold, therefore, God had sent this hand to "write upon the "wall of the 
palace. And Daniel said, These are the . words of it : MENE, MENE, TEKEL, 
UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation: Thy kingdom is ended, God has taken 
it from thee. He tried thee as king, but thou hast not obeyed him. He has 
given thy kingdom to the Medes and the Persians. 

When Daniel had interpreted the dream, then Belshazzar commanded his 
servants to clothe him with scarlet, and to put a chain of gold about his neck, 
and the king made a decree that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. 
That same night came Cyrus with the army of the Medes and Persians into 
Babylon, and Belshazzar, the king of the Chaldeans, was slain, and Darius, the 
Mede, took the kingdom. 

190 




DANIEL INTERPRETS THE WRITING ON THE WALL OF KING BELSHAZZAR'S PALACE. 

Jf)^ • Daniel V. 23. 



King D abuts Makes a Decbee. 

"V^^HEN Darius, the Mede, was made king of Babylon, he appointed one 
\ \ hundred and twenty princes. These princes hated Daniel because the 
king greatly honored him, and set him over them. And they tried to 
find out some evil concerning him, but could find none. Then they came to the 
king, and said, King Darius, all thy princes want a law to be made, that whoso- 
ever shall ask help of any god or man, for thirty days, except of thee, O king, 
shall be cast into the den of lions. !STow, O king, make this law and this decree, 
and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed ; for the law of the Medes and 
Persians changes not. Therefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree, 
• Now, when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his 
house, and the windows of his chamber being opened toward Jerusalem, he 
kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks to his 
God, as he had always done. Then these men gathered together, and found 
Daniel praying and asking help of God, and they went to the king and told 
him what Daniel Jiad done. 

Then the king, when he heard it, was displeased with himself for having 
made the decree, because he did not want to punish Daniel. And he set his 
heart on having him excused, and tried until the evening to save him from 
punishment. But the presidents and the princes gathered together to the king, 
and said to him, Thou knowest, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians 
is, that no decree or law which the king has made can be changed. Then king 
Darius commanded his servants, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the 
den of lions. But the king spoke to Daniel, and" said to him, Thy God "whom 
thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. And a great stone was brought 
and laid upon the mouth of the den. 

Then the king went home to his palace, and "would eat no food, but passed 
the night fasting. Neither were the instruments of music played before him as 
at other times ; and he could not sleep. And he arose very early in the morning 
and came in haste to the den of lions, and cried with a mournful voice unto 
Daniel, saying, O Daniel, thou servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou 
servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions ? Then said Daniel to the 
king, O king, live forever. My God has sent his angel, and shut the lions 1 mouths 
that they have not hurt me, because I have not sinned against him; and also, 
unto thee, O king, I have done no wrong. Then "was the king exceedingly glad 
for him, and he commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. 

And the king commanded, and they brought those men -who had spoken 

against Daniel, and cast them into the den of lions — them, their children, and 

their wives — and the lions leaped on them, and broke all their bones in pieces, 

as soon as they came into the bottom of the den. 

192 




DAXIEL IN THE DEX OF EIOXS. 



13 



103 



Daniel VI. 16. 



The Jews Go Back to Jerusalem. 

7VFTER seventy years, that the Jews were to spend in captivity had passed, 
V^\ the time came for them to go back to their own land. Therefore God 
made Cyrus, who was king in Babylon, willing to let them go. Then 
those words came true which the prophet Isaiah spoke, when he was alive, 
saying, That God would raise up a great king, named Cyrus, who would send 
the people back to build up Jerusalem and the temple again. It had been 
nearly two hundred years since Isaiah spoke those words. Cyrus was not born 
at that time; neither had the Jews yet been sent away from their own land. 
But God knew of all that would happen, and he told his prophet to foretell 
these things. 

And king Cyrus made a proclamation, or decree, and sent it through all his 
kingdom, saying, Thus saitli Cyrus, king of Persia, The Lord has commanded me 
to build up his house in Jerusalem. Who is there among the captives from 
Judah that wishes to go back to his own land? Let him go now and build up 
the house of the Lord. 

And king Cyrus brought out the vessels which . Nebuchadnezzar had taken 
from the temple, and he counted them, and gave them to the prince of Judah 
who was going back with the people. The name of this prince was Zerubbabel; 
he was descended from king David. The number of all the vessels of gold and 
silver that Cyrus gave to him, was five thousand and four hundred. 

So Zerubbabel took the vessels and carried them to Jerusalem. And there 
"went with him forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty persons of the 
children of Israel, beside their servants, who were seven thousand three hundred 
and thirty-seven more. When they came to Jerusalem, they found it in ruins, as 
the army of Nebuchadnezzar had left it so many years before. The walls of the 
city, the houses, and the temple, had been broken down and burned. 

And the people built again the altar of the Lord, which stood in the court 
of the temple. They made haste to build it that they might worship God, and 
ask for his help, because they were afraid of the heathen nations around them. 
As soon as the altar was built they offered up burnt offerings on it every day, 
a lamb in the morning, and a lamb in the evening, as the children of Israel used 
to do, before they were carried away to Babylon. 

Then they made ready to build the temple, and hired men of Tyre, as 

Solomon had done, to cut down cedar trees on mount Lebanon, and make rafts 

of them and float them, by the sea, near to Jerusalem. They gave these men 

meat and drink, and oil, while they -worked for them; and they paid money to 

carpenters and masons who began to build the house. When the first stones of 

it -were laid, the priests and Levites played on trumpets and cymbals, and sang 

songs of praise. And the people were glad and shouted with a great shout. 

194 



1 '■ 




CYRUS RESTORES THE VESSELS TAKEN EROM THE TEMPLE BY NEBUCHADNEZZAR. 

iQjj Ezra V. 14. 



The Samaritans Trouble the Jews. 

WHEN the Jews began to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem, people called 
Samaritans, "who had been sent by the king of Assyria to live in the 
cities left by the ten tribes of Israel, when they were carried away 
captive, came and asked that they might help in the building. 

Now the Samaritans "worshipped idols, though they pretended to serve God. 

Then Zerubbabel and Jeshua the high priest, and the chief men of Israel, 
answered the Samaritans, and said, You have nothing to do with the building 
of the Lord's house. We will build it ourselves, as Cyrus, king of Persia, has 
commanded us. At this answer the Samaritans were angry, and did all they 
could to stop the Jews, and hired men to speak to the king's officers against 
them. They did this as long as Cyrus lived. 

Alter Cyrus died Artaxerxes "was made king. Then the Samaritans "wrote a 
letter to him, saying, that the Jews were rebuilding Jerusalem and were setting 
up its walls, and that when they had done this they "would surely rebel, and 
refuse to pay tribute, as servants of the king ought to do. 

So Artaxerxes told the Samaritans, to go and command the men of Judah to 
cease the work, and not to rebuild the city until permission should be given 
them. Then the Samaritans went in haste to Jerusalem, and made the people 
cease building. So the "work of building the temple "was stopped as long as 
Artaxerxes was king. 

After this Artaxerxes died, and Darius "was made king. But now, although 
the men of Judah knew there was another king in Babylon, they did not send 
and ask permission of him to go on building the temple. Therefore the Lord "was 
displeased "with them, and sent Haggai the prophet to tell them to begin the "work. 

Then the people obeyed the command of the Lord, and began to build the 
house. But when the Samaritans saw it, they came again to Zerubbabel, and to 
Jeshua the high priest, and said to them, Who has commanded you to go on 
building the temple? Zerubbabel and Jeshua answered them, King Cyrus com- 
manded us to come back to our own land, and build this house. And he gave 
us the vessels of gold and silver "which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the 
temple, and said to us, Go, carry them to Jerusalem, and let the temple be built 
there. 

Then the Samaritans "wrote a letter to king Darius, at Babylon, and told him 
what the people of Judah said. And they asked the king to inquire and see 
whether it "was true that Cyrus had commanded them to build the temple. When 
Darius read the letter, he told his servants to search in the books "where all the 
decrees "were "written down "which the different kings of Babylon had made. And 
a book -was found in which was written a decree that the house of the Lord at 
Jerusalem should be built up again. 

As soon as king Darius found this decree which Cyrus had made so many 
years before, he sent "word to the Samaritans to let the men of Judah build the 
house of the Lord, and not to disturb them. And Darius said, I make a decree 
that some of the king's tribute which the Samaritans should pay to the king, 
they shall pay to the Jews instead, so that the Jews may go on building the 
temple. 

196 




THE JEWS REBUILD THE TEMPLE AT JERUSALEM. 

197 



Ezra IV. 4. 




Ezra Goes to Jerusalem. 

^FTER the men of Judah had rebuilt the temple at Jerusalem, and while 
Artaxerxes was king of Persia, there lived in Babylon a Jew, named Ezra. 
He was a priest and teacher of the laws which God had given to Moses, 
and was a learned and holy man. rTow Ezra loved the Jews, and "was very 
anxious they should obey God and have his blessing. Therefore he asked per- 
mission of Artaxerxes, the king, to go to Jerusalem that he might teach God^ 
laws more perfectly to the Jews who were there, and see also that they obeyed 
them. 

And Artaxerxes gave Ezra permission to go. He not only did this, but he 
and his princes gave him presents of gold and silver to take with him, as offer- 
ings to God. And the king gave Ezra a letter which said, I make a law and a 
decree, that all the people of Israel who are still in Persia, and who want to go 
up to Jerusalem, may go -with Ezra, because he is sent to inquire and see whether 
the law of his God is obeyed there; and to carry up the silver and gold which 
the king, and his princes, and the people of Babylon shall give him. 

And Ezra and all the people who were to go with him, started from the 
river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month. They had to go through 
a wild, desert country, and enemies were 'waiting to rob them as they passed by. 
But the Lord watched over them and would not allow their enemies to harm 
them. So they went on their journey, and in about four months, safely reached 
Jerusalem; and there they offered up sacrifices to God who had brought them 
in safety from Babylon. 

After this, some of the chief men among the Jews, came to Ezra, and told 
him, that the people of Jerusalem, and also the priests and the Levites, had 
disobeyed the Lord ; for they had made friends with the heathen nations around 
them, and taken heathen "women for their "wives. 

When Ezra heard their words, he was filled with sorrow ; he rent his clothes 
and plucked off the hair of his head, and sat down in great distress. 

Then he kneeled down and spread out his hands, and prayed, saying, O my 
God, I am ashamed to lift up my face to thee; because the sins of the children 
of Israel are so many and so great, that they are like a mountain reaching up to 
the skies. All our lives we have been sinning against thee, and because of our 
sins thou hast let the heathen nations gain the victory over us, and they have 
killed our people with the sword, and made us their captives, as we are at this day. 

When Ezra had prayed and confessed the wickedness of the people, there 

came to him great numbers of men and "women and children, "who "were "weeping 

on account of the sins that had been done. After this the people came before 

Ezra and the chief elders, and confessed their sins, and promised to do what 

"was right. 

198 




KING ARTAXERXES GRANTS PERMISSION TO AFX THE JEWS TO GO TO JERU! ALEM. 

l'.i'.i 



Ezra VII. 13. 



I 



King Ahasueeus Makes a Decree. 

7 | fHE Jews did not all go back to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel and Ezra : many 
of them continued to live in the land of Persia. 

And the name of the king who then reigned over Persia was Ahasuerus. 
In the third year of his reign he made a great feast for his servants in the court, 
or garden, of his palace, that was in the city of Shushan, where the kings of 
Persia lived during the winter. Around the court were hung curtains of white 
and green and blue, which were fastened by cords and silver rings, to pillars of 
marble. The beds in the palace were made of gold and silver, and the pavement 
was of red and blue, and white and black marble. The persons at the feast 
drank out of vessels of gold, and the king's wine was given in abundance, so 
that every man might drink as much as he wanted. 

Vashti, the queen, also made a feast for the women in the palace of king 
Ahasuerus. And on the seventh day of the king's feast, after he had drunk 
wine and was merry, he sent to bring Vashti before him, -with the crown upon 
her head, that the princes and people might see her beauty. Now in Persia the 
women lived in a separate part of the house, by themselves, and never came out 
before men unless they wore veils. And when king Ahasuerus sent for Vashti, 
the queen, to come before all the princes and people, that they might see her 
face unveiled, she refused to obey the king's commandment. 

Therefore the king was angry, and said to his wise men, What shall we do 
to queen Vashti, and how shall she be punished, because she has not obeyed the 
commandment of the king? One of the wise men answered, Vashti has done 
wrong, not only to the king, but also to all the princes and people of thy 
kingdom. For all the women of Persia will no more obey their husbands when 
they hear that king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti, the queen, to come in before 
him and she came not. Therefore let the king make a decree, and let it be 
written among the laws of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed, 
that Vashti shall come no more before the king; and let the king choose 
another "woman for queen who is better than she. Then, when this decree shall 
be known throughout the kingdom, all the wives, both of rich men and of poor 
men, will obey their husbands. 

And these words pleased the king and his princes, and the king did as the 
wise man had told him. For he sent letters through all the different provinces 
of his kingdom, commanding that every man should be ruler in his own house, 
and that this law should be made known to all the people. Then the king's 
servants came to him, saying, Let the king send officers to all the provinces of 
his kingdom, that they may gather together all the beautiful young women of 
Persia into the palace at Shushan; and let the one who pleaseth the king best 
be queen instead of Vashti. And the king did as his servants said. 

200 




QUEEN VASHTI REFUSES TO OBEY THE COMMAND OF KING AHASUERUS. 



201 



ESTHEK I. 12. 



Esther is Made Queen. 

N"OW there was among the servants at the palace of king Ahasuerus a Jew 
named Mordecai, who had a cousin named Esther. She was a Jewess. 
Her father and mother were dead, but when they died Mordecai took 
Esther to his house, and since that time had brought her up as his own 
daughter. And the maid was fair and beautiful. 

And it happened, when the king's commandment was made known through 
the land, and many young maidens were gathered together at Shushan, the 
palace, that Esther was brought there among them. But Esther did not let it 
be known that she was a Jewess, for Mordecai had advised her not to tell it. 

When king Ahasuerus saw Esther, he loved her more than all the other 
maidens who were brought before him, so that he set the royal crown upon 
her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 

In those days, two of the king's officers, because they were angry with the 
king, wanted to lay hands on him and kill him. Bnt Mordecai, who was a 
watchman at the king's gate, heard what they said, and told Esther, and Esther 
told the king. When the officers were examined their guilt was found out, and 
they were both hanged on a gallows. And what Mordecai had done to save 
the king's life, was "written down in a book, where an account was kept of all 
the principal things that happened in the kingdom. 

Now there was at the palace a servant named Haman. After these things, 
king Ahasnerus made Haman a great man, and set him above all the princes 
who were at the palace with him. 

Haman hated Mordecai because he would not bow down before him, as all 
the servants at the king's palace had been commanded to do. And Haman 
determined to X3unish Mordecai, and not him alone, but to destroy all the Jews 
that were in Persia, so he persuaded the king to let him make a decree, and 
sign it with the king's seal, that on a certain day the people of Persia should 
kill all the Jews in the kingdom. 

When Mordecai heard of the decree that Haman had made, he "was filled 
"with sorrow; and he sent and told queen Esther. 

Now it happened one night that the king could not sleep, and he called for 
the book in "which was written down an account of the principal things that 
had occurred in the kingdom, and read there that Mordecai had, a long time 
before, saved the king's life. 

And the king asked Haman, What shall be done for the man whom the 
king "wants greatly to honor? Then Haman said to himself, The king means 
me. Therefore he answered the king, saying, Let the royal robes that the king 
wears, and the horse, that he rides, and the crown that is set on his head, be 
brought to the man whom the king -wants greatly to honor. And let him wear 
the king's robes, and. his crown, and let him ride upon the king's horse; and 
let one of the most noble princes lead the horse through the streets of the city. 

Then the king said to Haman, Make haste and do to Mordecai, the Jew, as 
thou hast said. Then Haman, because he dared not disobey the king, took the 
king's robes, and his horse, and his crown, and brought them to Mordecai, and 
led him on horseback through the streets of the city. 

202 




HAMAN BRINGS MORDECAI, RIDING QPON THE KING'S HORSE, THROUGH THE STREET OF THE CITY. 

™ 1 -i in u VI 11 



Haman is Hanged on the Gallows Made for Mordecai. 

7VFTER Hainan had led Mordecai, on horseback through the streets of the city, 
AA he made haste to his own home, full of shame, and with his face covered, 
<T" so that no one might know him. But Mordecai came and sat down 
again, humbly, in his place by the king's gate. 

And Haman told his wife and all his friends -what had happened to him. 
While he was yet talking with them, the king's messenger came to bring him 
to a banquet that Esther had made ready. Now Esther had chosen this time to 
tell the king, that the decree Haman had made against the Jews, would cause 
her, and her people, to be slain; but Haman did not know this. 

So the king and Haman came to the banquet of Esther, the queen. And the 
king said, — for he knew that she wanted to ask a favor of him, What is thy 
petition, queen Esther? and -what is thy request? for it shall be given thee, even 
to the half of my kingdom. Esther answered,' If the king be pleased with me, 
this is my request, that the king will save my life, and the lives of all the Jews. 
For evil things have been spoken against us, which are not true, and I and my 
people have been sold to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. King Ahasuerus 
said, Who is the man that has dared to do these things? Esther answered, Our 
enemy is this wicked Haman. 

Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen. And the king arose 
from the banquet in great anger, and went out into the palace garden. When he 
came back again, Haman had fallen down before the queen to beg for his life. 

Now Haman had caused a gallows to be made, fifty cubits high, on which 
to hang Mordecai, the Jew. This was done before he knew that the king wanted 
to honor Mordecai. Then one of the king's officers said to the king, Behold the 
gallows, which Haman made ready for Mordecai, who saved the king's life. 
And the king said, Hang him upon it. So they hanged Haman on the gallows 
that he had made ready for Mordecai. 

On the same day, king Ahasuerus gave to Esther the house in which Haman 
had lived. And Mordecai was called in before the king, for Esther told him that 
Mordecai was her relation, and how kind he had been to her. And the king 
took off his ring, which he had before given to Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. 
And Esther made Mordecai ruler over the house that had belonged to Haman. 

But Esther was still troubled, because the decree which Haman had written, 
and sealed with the king's seal, had been sent out to all the provinces, and the 
day on which the Jews were to be slain was near at hand. 

Now even the king himself could not alter this decree, because no law or 
decree of the Medes or Persians could ever be changed. But Ahasuerus, the king, 
commanded that another decree should be written, in which permission was 
given to the Jews to gather themselves together in every city, and to slay and 
destroy all who. should try to harm them. 

And on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month the Jews took their swords, 
and gathered themselves together in every city, to fight for their lives ; and they 
gained the victory over all who came out against them. But on the fourteenth 
and fifteenth days they rested from fighting against their enemies. So God saved 
Esther and her xDeople from those who had hoped to destroy them. 

204 




QUEEN ESTHER ACCUSES HAMAX BEFORE THE KIXG. 

205 



ESTHEB VII. 6. 



The People Rebuild the Walls of Jerusalem. 

NINETY years had passed away since Zerubbabel, and those who were with 
him, went up to Jerusalem. Artaxerxes was king over Persia, and 
ISTehemiah, a Jew, was his cup-bearer, who carried his wine-cup to him 
when he wanted to drink. While Nehemiah was in the palace at Shushan, some 
men came there from the land of Judah; and ISTehemiah asked them about the 
Jews in that land, and about Jerusalem. The men told him that the Jews were 
in great affliction ; that the walls of Jerusalem were still in ruins, and that the 
gates of the city had never been set up. 

When Nehemiah heard this, he ■wept. And he fasted and prayed for the 
Jews : he prayed also that God -would make king Artaxerxes willing to do what 
he should ask of him; for ISTehemiah was going to ask the king to send him to 
Jerusalem, that he might build up the walls, and help the Jews who "were there. 

After this, as king Artaxerxes was sitting one day in his palace, rJehemiah 
took the wine-cup and handed it to him to drink. And ISTehemiah looked sad; 
the king noticed it, and said to him, Why is thy face sad, seeing thou art not 
sick? Surely thou hast some sorrow in thy heart. 

Then ISTehemiah told the king that he was sad because he had heard that the 
•walls of Jerusalem were in ruins, and its gates burned with fire. And he said 
to the king, If it please thee, I pray thou wilt send me to Jerusalem, that I may 
build up its walls. The king said (while the queen was sitting by him), How 
long will thy journey take thee? and how soon wilt thou return? When ISTehe- 
miah had told him, the king gave him x^ermission to go. 

And ISTehemiah came safely to Jerusalem. After he had been there three days, 
he rose up secretly in the night, so that his enemies might not know it, and 
went out to examine the walls of the city, and see if what had been told him 
about them was true : and he found that it was true, for they -were broken down 
and in ruins. Afterward he spoke to the people, saying, Tou see the danger and 
distress -we are in, with no wall to guard us. Come, let us build up the -wall, 
that we be no longer afraid of our enemies. And they said to one another, Let 
us rise up and build. So they began to build the -wall. The priests, the Levites, 
the people, and even some of the -women of Israel, helped in the "work. 

]STow there were two wicked men named Sanballat and Tobiah who -were 
enemies to the Jews: they lived in the provinces that -were near to the land of 
Judah. And -when they heard that ISTehemiah had come to build up the -walls 
they -were angry, and they said, -with others ; We will go and fight against them ; 
but Ave -will go suddenly, so that they may not know we are near until -we come 
among them and slay them, and cause the -work to cease. But the Jews -were 
told of their coming ; and JSTehemiah set the men of Israel behind the -wall, -with 
their ' swords, their spears, and their bows. And he said to them, Be not afraid; 
remember that the Lord -will help you. Fight, therefore, for your wives, your 
children, and your homes. And -when their enemies heard that the Jews had 
made ready for them, they did not come against the city. 

So ISTehemiah and the people kept on working at the -wall, and they finished 
it in fifty-two days. And rJehemiah went back to Persia, as he had promised 
the king, but afterwards he returned to Jerusalem again. 

206 




NEHEMIAH GOES BY NIGHT TO THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM AND FTXDS THEM IN RUINS. 

cyry- NEHKMIAH II. 13. 



The Jews Serve other Kings. 

WE learn from other books than the Bible, that the Jews continued to be 
servants to the kings of Persia for nearly a hundred years after Nehe- 
miah returned from Babylon. Then Alexander, a great general, who 
was at war with Persia, brought an army, and took Jerusalem, and the Jews 
served him for nine years. 

After his death they were servants to the kings of Egypt for more than a 
hundred years. Some of these kings treated the Jews kindly; but, at last, one 
of them came to Jerusalem, and seeing how beautiful the temple was, he deter- 
mined to go, not only into its courts, but into the building itself, where the 
priests alone were allowed to go. The priests begged him not to disobey God 
by doing this, and the people cried out with fear and sorrow when they saw 
him going ; still he went on until he came to the holy place. But while he was 
there, God sent such great terror and weakness upon him, that he had to be 
carried out like one almost dead. In his anger at not being permitted to do as 
he wished, he treated the Jews very cruelly, making slaves of some and putting 
others to death. 

After this the Jews refused to obey the kings of Egypt, and served the kings 
of Syria for over thirty years. The one whom they first served -was good to 
them as long as he lived. But after he died, his son, Antiochus, hearing they 
had rebelled against him, came with an army and took Jerusalem, not sparing 
the people, but putting both old and young to death. In three days forty 
thousand of them were slain, and as many more sold to be captives. 

Two years afterward, he sent Apollonius, one of his generals, with twenty- 
two thousand men, against Jerusalem. Apollonius came into the city, and 
waiting until the Sabbath-day, when he knew the Jews would not fight against 
him, he set his soldiers upon the people, commanding them to kill the men, to 
take the women and children captive, to rob the houses, and to throw down the 
city walls. The soldiers obeyed his commands, putting so many of the Jews to 
death, that the streets of the city and the courts of the temple ran "with their blood. 

But not satisfied with what he had already done to show his fury against 
them, the king of Syria afterward made a decree forbidding the Jews to offer up 
sacrifices to God. . He sent an officer to Jerusalem who drove them away from 
the temple and made it a place to worship idols in. Heathen altars were set up 
in every city of the land, and the Jews who would not sacrifice upon them 
were punished. One of their elders, an old man named Eleazar, was forced to 
take swine's flesh into his mouth, which the Lord had commanded the Jews not 
to eat. When he spat it out he was beaten to death. 

Seven brothers, with their mother, were taken by the king and scourged, to 
make them eat swine's flesh. But the eldest brother spoke to the king, saying, 
We will not eat of it, for we would rather die than disobey the laws of God. 
Then the king, in great anger, commanded that his tongue should be cut out, 
and parts of his feet and hands cut off, and afterward that he should be burned 
slowly over a fire as long as there was any life in him. As soon as he was dead, 
the other brothers were asked whether they would obey the king; and as they 
refused, were one by one tortured and put to death, and their mother also slain. 

208 




A MOTHER AXT) HER SONS ARE CRUELLY PUT TO DEATTT. 



14 



209 







ELEAZAR IS SLAIN BECAUSE HE WILL NOT EAT SWINE'S FLESH. 

210 



1 



The Maccabees Lead tile Jews Against tiikiij Enemies. 

THERE was among the Jews, a family called the Maccabees. The father, who 
was a priest, had five sons. He loved the worship of God, but hated the 
worship of idols; ami he killed one of the king's servants for setting up 
an idol's altar in the city where he lived. Then he fled with his sons to the 
mountains. There many of the Jews came to him until he had gathered around 
him a little arnry, with which he fought against their enemies. 

But being an old man he could not bear the hardships of war, and feeling 
that the time was near for him to die, he called his sons to give them his bless- 
ing. And he told them not to fear the Syrians, but to be brave, and go out to 
battle against them, trusting in God, and obeying the words of his law. 

The sons, after their father was dead, obeyed his command. The}" led the 
people against their enemies and drove them away from the temple. Then the 
Jews came back to the temple and desti'03-ed the idol's altar which the Syrians 
had built; and they cleansed the temple and began to worship God there again. 
After this they gained more victories over their enemies until they were i'vee; 
and they had kings of their own, of the family of the Maccabees, to rule over 
them for nearly a hundred years. 

But now, when God had helped them and made them free once more, they 
forgot him, and, instead of obeying his command to love one another, they grew 
proud and selfish, and had wars and battles among themselves. At last, while 
two brothers, the sons of their former king, were quarreling as to which should 
rule over the people, the Romans came with an army and took Jerusalem, and 
broke down its walls; and the Jews were made servants to the Romans, as they 
had been before to the Egyptians and the Syrians. 

The Romans sent a general, named Herod, to be their king. He was not one 
of the children of Israel, yet he pretended to believe in their religion and to 
worship God as they did. He was, in truth, a fierce and cruel man who cared 
only to be ruler over the people, and to keep all the power to himself. That 
he might do this, he put many persons to death, among them his wife and two 
of his own sons. 

After he had been king eighteen years, finding that the Jews hated him for 

his wickedness, he determined to build up the temple anew, by doing which he 

hoped to please them, and make them more willing to have him rule over them. 

The temple which then stood on mount Moriah, was the one built by the Jews 

after they had returned witli Zerubbabel from Babylon. It was nearly five hundred 

years old, and much broken and decayed. Herod took it down, and built it up 

again with great stones of white marble. These he covered, in some places, with 

plates of silver and gold. The building was very splendid, and shone so brightly 

under the morning sun that it dazzled the eyes of those who looked on it. 

211 



T 



Heeod's Temple. 

THE inside of the temple that Herod built was divided, as it had been before, 
by the curtain called the veil, into two rooms: one of them being the 
holy place, where the golden altar, the golden table, and the golden 
candlestick stood; and the other, the most holy place, where the ark used to 
stand. But the ark had been lost, long before (as we suppose), when the Jews 
were carried captive to Babylon, on account of their sins. They had no ark 
now to bring into the most holy place, and we are told that this was empty, 
except that a stone lay on the spot where the ark should have been. 

Outside of the temple was the court called the court of the priests, where 
the altar of burnt offering and the laver stood. And outside of this court ■was 
another, called the court of Israel, where the men of Israel might come. Beyond 
this "was a third court, called the court of the women, because the women of 
Israel might go there. And outside of this, and around all the others, was a 
very large court, called the court of the Gentiles, because the Gentiles, that is, 
the people of other nations beside the Jews, "were allowed to go into it. 

Nine large and splendid gates opened into these courts; one, more splendid 
than the rest, was called the Beautiful Gate. It was seventy-five feet high and 
covered with Corinthian brass, which, at that time, was more costly than silver 
or gold. Around the different courts, walls 'were built; that around the court 
of the Gentiles was twenty-five feet high. On the inside of this wall "were "wide 
porches with flat roofs, "which rested on marble pillars so large, that three men 
with their arms stretched out could hardly reach around one of them. The floor 
of the porches was paved with different colored marble. One of the porches "was 
called Solomon's, because it stood over a very high wall which Solomon had 
built up from the valley below. These porches made a beautiful covered walk 
for the people in hot or stormy weather; while in pleasant "weather they "walked 
upon their flat roofs, from which they had a view of the temple, the city, and 
the mountains that "were around Jerusalem. 

The Jews did not go into the temple itself to "worship ; only the priests "were 
allowed to go there. The people "worshipped in the courts of the temple, and 
when they said they were going up to the temple, they meant they were going 
up to its courts. The way up to these, on the top of mount Moriah, was by high 
flights of steps. 

Herod had eighteen thousand men at work on the temple and its courts, 

and it took him over nine years to build them. 

212 




THE MACCABEES FLEE TO THE MOUNTAINS AND AN ARMY GATHERS AROUND THEM. 

213 




THE JEWS, LED BY THE MACCABEES, DRIVE OUT THE IDOLATORS. 

214 



An Angel Foretells 
The Birth of John the Baptist and of Jesus. 



O'OD promised, when Adam and Eve first sinned in the garden, that a 

luj^ Saviour should come. The prophets who lived afterward, also told the 

children of Israel that he was coming. But before he came, they said, 

John the Baptist would be sent to tell the people to make ready for him by 

repenting of their sins. 

While Herod was king in Judea there lived a priest named Zacharias. His 
wife was named Elizabeth. They were both of them old, and the Bible tells us, 
were righteous and careful to obey all God's commandments. But God had 
never given them a child. 

While Zacharias was in the temple he saw an angel standing beside the 
golden altar. When he saw him he was afraid. But the angel said, Fear not, 
Zacharias, for God will give to thee and thy wife, Elizabeth, a son, and thou 
shalt call his name John. He shall not drink wine or any strong drink, and 
shall be filled with God's Holy Spirit from the time he is born. He shall tell 
the children of Israel of the Saviour who is coming, and shall teach many of 
them to repent of their sins and obey him. 

Then Zacharias said to the angel, But how shall I know that these things 
will be? The angel answered, I am the angel Gabriel, who live in heaven and 
stand before God, to do whatever he commands me, and he has sent me to 
tell thee this good news. And now, because thou hast not believed it, thou 
shalt be punished by being dumb and unable to speak, until the words I have 
spoken come true. 

And the people who "were waiting in the courts of the temple for Zacharias 
to come out of the holy place, wondered what kept him so long. When he 
came they saw that he could not speak. But he made them understand, by 
signs, that he had seen a vision. 

Six months after this God sent the angel Gabriel into the city of Nazareth, 
to a young woman named Mary. She 'was a cousin of Elizabeth, the wife of 
Zacharias, and was descended from king David. When Mary saw the angel, she 
was troubled, for she knew not why he had come. But he said, Fear not, Mary ; 
for God has greatly blessed thee. Thou shalt have a son, and shalt call his name 
JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of God. And God will 
make him king over those who love him, forever. To thy cousin Elizabeth, 
also, God has promised a son. Mary answered the angel, saying, I am the 
servant of the Lord, let it be done to me as thou hast said. And the angel 
departed from her. 

God gave to Zacharias and Elizabeth, the son he had promised them. 

They called him John, as the angel had told Zacharias to do ; the boy grew, 
and the Lord blessed him, and he lived in the lonely wilderness, away from the 
rest of the people, until he was a man, and the time had come for him to preach 
to the Jews, and tell them about Jesus. For this little child, whom God had 
given to Zacharias and Elizabeth, was John the Baptist. 

216 




THE AXGEL GABRIEL APPEARS TO MARY. 



217 



St. Luke I. 28. 



T 



Joseph and Maky Go to Bethlehem. 



T" THE Jews were servants to the Romans: they had to obey whatever the 
emperor of Rome commanded. And now he made a decree that all the 
Jews should be enrolled, or have their names written down, and he 
commanded each one of them to go to the city where his fathers had lived, so 
that the Roman officers might take down his name there. Therefore every one 
went to his own city. 

And Mary, -with Joseph her husband, went out of Nazareth, where their 
home was then, to Bethlehem, where David used to live, because they were 
descended from king David. When they came to Bethlehem, there was no room 
for them at the inn : it was . already full, and they went into the stable to sleep. 

And while they were there, God gave to Mary the son which the angel 
had promised her. It was in the stable in Bethlehem that the infant Jesus was 
born. And Mary his mother, wrapped him round with swaddling clothes, or 
bands, and laid him in a manger. 

There were in that country shepherds, who staid out in the field watching 
over their flocks all night. And the angel of the Lord came down to them, and 
a bright light shone around them, and they were afraid. But the angel said, 
Fear not, for I bring you good news which shall give joy to all people. Because 
there is born for you this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, who is Christ the 
Lord. And this is the way you shall know him: You shall find him wrapped 
in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger. When the angel had said this, 
suddenly there was a multitude of angels with him, who praised God, saying, 
Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 

After the angels had gone from them up into heaven, the shepherds said one 
to another, Let us go now to Bethlehem, and see these things of "which the angel 
has told us. And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the 
babe lying in a manger. And they saw the child, and afterward went out and 
told others what the angel had said to them about him. And all whom they 
told wondered at what they said. Then the shepherds returned to their flocks 
again, praising God for "what they had seen and heard. 

When the babe "was eight days old, his parents called his name Jesus, as the 

angel had commanded; and they dedicated him to the Lord. For although he 

was the Son of God, yet he came on the earth to be like one of us, and to set 

us an example in all things, of what we ought to do. 

218 




JESUS IS BORN IN BETHLEHEM OF JUDEA. 

219 



St. LrKE II. 16. 



Herod Tells the Wise Men to Seek Jesus. 

J'OSEPH and Mary brought Jesus to Jerusalem, and took him to the temple, 
and offered up a sacrifice of turtle-doves, or young pigeons. And there 
was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was a good man who feared 
God, and who was expecting Jesus to come into the world from what the 
prophets had written about him. And the Holy Spirit had promised Simeon that 
he should not die until he had seen Jesus. And now the Spirit told Simeon to 
go into the temple, and when Joseph and Mary brought in the child, Simeon 
took him up in his arms, and said, Now, Lord, thy promise has come true, and 
I can die in peace, because I have seen the Saviour. 

And there was a woman named Anna, a prophetess. She was a widow of 
great age, and she lived near to the temple, so that she might worship there day 
and night. While Simeon was speaking, she also came into the temple where 
Jesus was, and thanked God because he had let her see him. And she went 
out, and spoke of him to others who were looking for the coming of the Saviour. 

And there came to Jerusalem wise men from some far off eastern country,, 
who asked the people, saying, Where is he -that is born to be king of the Jews? 
for we have seen his star in the sky, and are come to worship him. God had 
sent a star that shone over the land where these wise men lived, so they might 
know that Jesus "was born; and they had come to Jerusalem seeking him. But 
when they reached there they did not see Jesus ; therefore they asked the people 
where they might find him. 

Herod heard what they said, and was troubled because they called Jesus, 
King. He was afraid that the child which was born, might some day be made 
king over Judea instead of himself. Therefore, he also, wanted to know where 
Jesus was. 

And he gathered together some learned men whom he knew had studied the 
Scriptures, and asked them to tell him where Christ should be born. They 
answered, In the city of Bethlehem, for so the prophet has said. Then Herod 
called the wise men to him, and sent them to Bethlehem, saying, Go and look 
diligently for the young child, and when you have found him bring me word, 
that I may come and worship him also. But he said this, not because he wanted 
to worship Jesus: it was because he wanted to put him to death. 

After Herod had spoken to them, the wise men departed from Jerusalem, 
and went toward Bethlehem. And as they went, the star which they had seen 
in their own land, appeared to them again. When they saw the star, they were 
filled with joy, for it moved on before them, and showed them the way, till it 
came and stood over the house where the young child was. And they went 
into the house and saw the young child with Mary his mother, and they bowed 
down and worshipped him. 

220 




THE WISE MEN FOLLOW THE STAB. 



221 



St. Matthew II. 1. 



T 



Joseph and Maky Go to Jeeusalem. 

^ fHE wise men who came from a far country, "brought presents for Jesus, of 
such things as were precious in the country where they lived. And when 
they had opened these things, they gave to him gifts of gold, and frank- 
incense, and myrrh. But God spoke to them in a dream, and commanded them 
not to go back to Herod ; therefore they returned to their own country by 
another way. 

When Herod found that the wise men had disobeyed him, he was very 
angry, and sent his servants to Bethlehem and slew all the little children there, 
that were two years old or younger, for he hojoed that among them Jesus would 
be slain. But before Herod's servants came, the angel of the Lord told Joseph 
to take the young child and his mother and flee into Egypt. And Joseph arose 
in the night and fled into Egypt; and he stayed there till Herod was dead. 
Then the angel spoke to him again, saying, Arise, and go back into the land of 
Israel, for they are dead -who sought to destroy the young child. And Joseph 
did as the angel commanded, and he and Mary and the young child came and 
lived in the city of Nazareth. 

Joseph and Mary used to go every year to Jerusalem, to keep the feast of 
the passover;. and when Jesus was twelve years old, he also went with them. 
After the days of the feast "were ended, they started on their journey back to 
Nazareth. Now people who went to the passover, used to travel in companies; 
friends and neighbors would go up to Jerusalem together: some of them rode 
on mules and horses, perhaps, but many of them walked all the way. It was 
with such a company as this that Joseph and Mary started to return to Nazareth, 
and they thought that Jesus was among those who journeyed with them. So 
they went on till evening; then they looked for him, but could not find him. 
Therefore they left the company they journeyed with, and went back to Jeru- 
salem. They had been one day in coming to the place where they missed him ; 
it took them one day more to go back to Jerusalem, but on the next, or the 
third day, they found him at the temple, talking with the doctors, or wise men, 
hearing what they said, and asking them questions. 

And all who heard Jesus were astonished at the things that he spoke, for he 
was only a child, but those whom he talked with were men of great learning. 
And his mother said to him, Son, why hast thou treated us so ? Thy father and 
I have been looking for thee, anxious and sorrowful. He answered, Why have 
you looked for me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father's 
business ? He meant that he must be doing what his Father in heaven had sent 
him on earth to do. For God had sent him to teach men and explain the 
Scriptures to them, before he should die on the cross for their sins. Then Jesus 

returned with his parents to their home in the city of Nazareth. 

222 




HEROD CAUSES THE CHILDREN THAT ARE IN" BETHLEHEM TO BE SLAIN". 

293 Br. Matthew II. Hi. 




JOSEPH TOOK THE YOUNG CHILD AND HIS MOTHER AND DEPARTED INTO EGYPT. 

224 St - Matthew II. 14. 




15 



JESUS IN THE TEMPLE WITH THE LEARNED MEN. 

225 



st. Luke ii 46. 



John the Baptist Pbeaches to the People. 

WHEN the time had come for John to preach to the people, God com- 
manded him to go and tell them to make ready for the Saviour by 
repenting of their sins. John lived in the wilderness. His clothes were made 
of the coarse hair that grows on the back of the camel, and were fastened 
around his waist by a girdle or belt of leather. He had for his food the insects 
called locusts, which he found out in the -wilderness, and the honey which the 
"wild bees left among the rocks, and in the hollow trees. 

A great multitude of people came to hear him. And he preached to them, 
and told them that the Saviour, who had been' promised, was soon coming 
among them, and that he would save the righteous, but destroy the wicked. 
Many "who heard John preach, repented, and were baptized by him in the river 
Jordan. 

Herod, who slew the little children in Bethlehem, was dead, and his son 
Herod "was ruler over that part of the land called Galilee. This Herod, like 
his father, "was a wicked man. He had married Herodias, his brother's wife, 
while his brother was yet alive. 

John the Baptist told Herod that this "was wrong. Then the woman, whose 
name "was Herodias, was angry and would have persuaded Herod to kill him, but 
she could not. For Herod was afraid to kill John, because he had heard him 
preach, and knew that he was a holy man. Yet to please Herodias, he took John 
and bound him, and shut him up in prison. And while John "was in prison, 
Herod, on his birthday, made a great feast for the lords, high captains, and chief 
men of Galilee. And Salome, the daughter of Herodias, came in and danced before 
them. Then Herod was greatly pleased with her, and said, Ask of me whatever 
thou wilt, and it shall be given thee, even to the half of my kingdom. 

And Salome went to her mother and said, What shall I ask? Her mother 

answered, Ask the king to command that John the Baptist's head be cut off, 

and brought to thee here in a large dish. And Salome came back in haste to 

the king, saying, I want thee to give me presently, in a large dish, the head of 

John the Baptist. Then Herod was very sorry, yet because he had promised 

her, and because the men "who were with him had heard him do so, he would 

not refuse. And immediately he sent one of his soldiers "who cut off John's head 

in the prison, and brought it in a large dish to Salome, and she gave it to her 

mother. When John's disciples heard of it, they came and took up his dead 

body and laid it in a tomb, and went and told Jesus. 

226 




THE DAUGHTER OF HERODIAS RECEIVES THE HEAD OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

nc\n St. Matthew XIV. 11. 



Jesus is Tempted by Satan. 




ATAN went out into the wilderness to tempt Jesus, as he had tempted Eve 
in the garden of Eden. And he came to him and said, If thou art the Son 
of God, change these stones that are lying on the ground into bread, so 
that thou mayest have food, because thou art hungry. But Jesus knew why 
Satan had come, and he would not make the stones into bread to obey him. He 
told him it was written in the Bible that we must be more careful to obey God, 
and do what is right, than even to get bread when we are hungry. 

Next Satan took Jesus into Jerusalem, and up on to a very high part of the 
temple. And he said to him, If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down, for 
it is written in the Bible that the angels shall hold thee up as thou art falling, 
lest thou be dashed against a stone. But Jesus said it was also written in the 
Bible, that we must not put ourselves in danger, only to try whether God will 
save us from harm. 

Then Satan set before Jesus his principal temptation. He took him up on 
to a high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world at the same 
time, with their beautiful cities, their mighty armies, and their great riches : and 
he said to him, All these will I give thee for thine own, if thou wilt kneel down 
and worship me. It was to try and make Jesus do this, that Satan had come out 
in the wilderness. 

He cared little whether Jesus turned the stones into bread, or cast himself 
down from the temple. But he cared a great deal that Jesus should be willing 
to obey him, and take him for his master. This was the reason why he promised 
to give him all the kingdoms in the world (though they were not his to give) 
if he would only kneel down and worship him. But Jesus answered him, saying,, 
Go from me, Satan, for it is written in the Bible, Thou shalt worship the Lord 
thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. When Satan saw that he could not 
make Jesus obey his words, he departed from him, and behold, angels came and 
waited on him. 

And Jesus returned to the river Jordan where John was. When John saw 
him coming, he said, Behold the Lamb of God! He called Jesus the Lamb of 
God, because he was to be offered up as a sacrifice on the cross, as lambs were 
offered up on the altar. And two men who heard John say this, followed Jesus. 
Jesus spoke to them, and took them to the place where he dwelt, and one of 
them, named Andrew, brought his brother Peter also. The next day two others, 
named Philip and Nathaniel, followed him.* All these men came to Jesus that 
he might teach them ; therefore they were his disciples, for a disciple is a person 
who learns something from another. 

228 




JESUS IS TAKEN 



J UP INTO A HIGH MOUNTAIN AND IS SHOWN ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE EARTH. 

St. Matthew IV. 8. 



The First Miracle. 



JESUS -went into the city of Cana, which was in that part of the land called 
Galilee, and there was a marriage in the city. The mother of Jesus was 
there, and both Jesns and his disciples were invited to the marriage. And a 
feast was made ready for all who should come. Food was prepared for them to 
eat, and wine for them to drink; but before the end of the feast the wine was 
all gone. And "when they wanted more, the mother of Jesus said to him, They 
have no wine. Then she said to the servants, Whatever he tells you to do, do it. 

]STow there "were in the house six water-pots made of stone, such as the Jews 
kept to hold "water. Jesus said to the servants, Fill the water-pots "with "water, 
And they tilled them up to the brim. Then he said, Take' some out now, and 
carry it to the chief man -of the feast. And "when they did so, the "water "was 
changed into wine. But the chief man, or ruler of the feast, did not know that 
Jesus had changed it into wine, (yet the servants knew), therefore "when he 
tasted of the "water that "was made wine, he called the bridegroom to him and 
said, Other persons -when they give a feast, set the good wine on the table first, 
and after men have had enough, they bring out that which is worse ; but thou 
hast kept the good wine until now. This was the first miracle that Jesus did to 
show his power to the people. And "when his disciples saw it, they believed 
that he -was the Son of God. 

The time was near for the feast of the passover, and Jesus -went up to Jeru- 
salem to keep it. When he came to the temple, he found in the court of the 
Gentiles, men -who had brought oxen and sheep and doves there, to sell for 
sacrifices ; and other men who had tables on -which "were pieces of silver money. 
This money "was Jewish money, and "was called the half shekel. We are told 
that each Jew gave one of these half shekels to the priests, every year, to buy 
sacrifices with, or whatever else was needed at the temple. The men at the 
tables -were money-changers; they exchanged, or sold, the half shekels to those 
Jews who wanted to give them to the priests. But Jesus was much displeased 
to find men selling in the court of the temple, and he made a scourge, or whip 
of small cords, and drove them all out, and also the sheep and the oxen. And 
he poured out the changers 1 money on the ground, and threw down their tables, 
and said to those who sold doves, Take them away, make not my Fathers house 
a place to buy and sell in. And -while he was at the feast of the passover, many 

believed on him when they saw the miracles that he did. 

230 




THE MARRIAGE FEAST IN CASTA. JESUS TURNS WATER INTO WINE. 



231 



st. John II. 8. 




JESUS DRIVES PROM THE TEMPLE THE MONEY CHANGERS AND SELLERS OF DOVES. 

oqo St - John II. 15. 




JESUS TEACHES THE PEOPLE. 



Z-jo 



st. John vii. 11 



Jesus and His Disciples Go into Galilee. 

JESUS and his disciples went into a part of the land called Galilee. On the 
way there, they came to a city named Sychar. Just outside of the city 
was a well, called Jacob's well, where the people came to get water. 

It was in the hot part of the day, and Jesus being wearied with his journey, 
sat down by the well. His disciples had gone into the city to buy food, and 
had left him alone. 

And a woman came out of the city, carrying her pitcher to draw water. 
ISTow this woman was a sinner. She did not love God in her heart, and had 
done many things to displease him. Jesus knew this, for he sees all our hearts 
and knows of everything that we have done. And he talked with the woman, 
and told her of some of the things she had done, long ago, to displease God. 

Then she was surprised, and said, Sir, I see thou art a prophet. She meant 
that he was a person whom God told of things which other people did not 
know. And she said to Jesus, I know that the Saviour is coming into the world. 
When he comes he will tell us all things. Jesus said to her, I that speak to thee 
am he. 

Then the woman left her pitcher and made haste back to the city, and said 
to the people, Come and see a man who told me all the things that ever I did.- 
Is not this the Saviour? And the people went out and saw Jesus, and begged 
him to come into their city. 

So he came there and stayed with them three days. And they listened to 
the things that he taught them. Then they said to the woman, Now we believe 
on him, not because thou didst tell us about him, but because we have heard, 
him ourselves, and know that he is the Saviour who has come down from 
heaven. 

From that time Jesus began to teach all the people in the land of Israel, 

telling them that the Judgment day was coming, and that they should repent 

of their sins and believe in him. 

234 




JESUS TALKS WITH A WOMAN OF SAMARIA AND REVEALS HIMSELF TO HER. 

90- St. Johb iv. 7. 



Jesus and His Disciples Go into Galilee. 

JESUS and his disciples went into a part of the land called Galilee. On the 
way there, they came to a city named Sychar. Just outside of the city 
was a well, called Jacob's well, where the people came to get water. 

It was in the hot part of the day, and Jesus being wearied with his journey, 
sat down by the well. His disciples had gone into the city to buy food, and 
had left him alone. 

And a woman came out of the city, carrying her pitcher to draw water. 
Now this woman was a sinner. She did not love God in her heart, and had 
done many things to displease him. Jesus knew this, for he sees all our hearts 
and knows of everything that we have done. And he talked with the woman, 
and told her of some of the things she had done, long ago, to displease God. 

Then she was surprised, and said, Sir, I see thou art a prophet. She meant 
that he was a person whom God told of things which other people did not 
know. And she said to Jesus, I know that the Saviour is coming into the world. 
When he comes he will tell us all things. Jesus said to her, I that speak to thee 
am he. 

Then the -woman left her pitcher and made haste back to the city, and said 
to the people, Come and see a man who told me all the things that ever I did.- 
Is not this the Saviour? And the people went out and saw Jesus, and begged 
him to come into their city. 

So he came there and stayed with them three days. And they listened to 
the things that he taught them. Then they said to the woman, Now we believe 
on him, not because thou didst tell us about him, but because Ave have heard, 
him ourselves, and know that he is the Saviour who has come down from 
heaven. 

From that time Jesus began to teach all the people in the land of Israel, 

telling them that the Judgment day was coming, and that they should repent 

of their sins and believe in him. 

234 




JESUS TALKS WITH A WOMAN OF SAMARIA AND REVEALS HIMSELF TO HER. 



235 



st. John IV. 7. 



Jesus Goes to Capernaum. 



JESUS went down to Capernaum, which, was a city by the sea of Galilee, and 
great numbers of people came there to hear him. As he stood by the sea, 
they crowded upon him. And he saw two boats on the shore, but the fishermen 
had gone out of them and were mending their nets. Then Jesus went into one 
of the boats, which was Peter's, and asked him to push it out a little way from 
the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the boat. 

When he had done teaching them, he said to Peter and to Andrew, his 
brother, Sail out now on the sea, and let down your nets into the water to 
catch fish. Peter answered, Master, we have been laboring all night, and have 
caught nothing ; yet, at thy command, I "will let down the net. When they had 
done this they caught a great multitude of fishes, so that the net broke. Then 
they beckoned to their partners, who were in the other boat, by the shore, that 
they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both boats with 
the fish, until they began to sink. 

When Peter saw the miracle which Jesus had done, he kneeled down and 
worshipped him, saying, I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and 
so were his partners, James and John, at the multitude of fishes they had taken. 
Jesus did this miracle so that these men might see it, and believe on him and 
know that he was the Son of God, because he had chosen them to be his 
disciples, and to go -with him wherever he should go. And he said to them, 
Come with me. Then they left their boats and their nets and all that they had, 
and followed him. 

On the Sabbath day, Jesus went into the synagogue and taught the people. 

A man was there who had an evil spirit. And he cried out to Jesus, saying, 

Let us alone : what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth P Art thou 

come to destroy us? I know thee, that thou art the Son of God. Jesus said to 

the evil spirit, Be still, and come out of him. Then the spirit threw the man 

down, and cried with a loud voice, and came out of him. And all who were in 

the synagogue were astonished, and said among themselves, What does this 

mean? for even the wicked spirits obey him. 

236 




WHEN THEY HAD CAST THEIR NET INTO THE SEA IT WAS FILLED WITH FISHES. 

907 St. Luke V. 1 



Jesus Cures Peter's Wife's Mother. 

7VFTER Jesus had come out of the synagogue at Capernaum, he went into the 
/^\ house where Andrew and Peter lived. James and John also were there. 
Peter's 'wife's mother was sick of a fever, and they begged Jesus to heal 
her. Then he stood by her bed, and commanded the fever to come out of her. 
And immediately she was made well, and she rose up and waited on them. In 
the evening when the sun had set, the people of the city brought many who 
were sick, and who had evil spirits, to the house where Jesus was, and a great 
multitude were gathered about the door. And he healed the sick, and cast out 
the evil spirits from those who had them. 

In the morning, rising up . a great while before it was light, he went out to 
a lonely place in the wilderness, and there prayed to God. For although he 
was God's Son, yet he had come on the earth to be a man; and while he was 
on earth, he felt pain and hunger and sorrow like men. Therefore he prayed to 
God for help, as men do ; and now he went out into the wilderness where he 
would be alone, and prayed there. 

But after he had gone, the people came to Peter's house to seek him. Then 
Peter and the other discfples followed Jesus, and when they found him, they 
said, All the people are seeking for thee. Jesus answered, I must go and preach 
the gospel in other cities also. And he went through all Galilee, teaching in the 
synagogues and preaching the gospel to the people. 

Gospel means good news. What good news was it that Jesus preached? It 
was this: That he had come into the world to be punished for our sins, in our 
place and instead of us; so that, if we repent of those sins and believe on him, 
we shall not be punished at the Judgment day, but forgiven and taken up to 
heaven where "we shall be happy forever. 

And there came to him a man with the leprosy, who kneeled down before 
him and said, Lord, if thou wilt thou canst make me clean. Jesus pitied him, 
and put out his hand and touched him, saying, I will : be thou clean. And 
immediately the leprosy went from him, and he was made clean. Then Jesus 
sent him away, and commanded him to tell no man who had healed him, but 
to go to the priest at the temple, and offer up a sacrifice, as Moses had 
commanded those persons to do who were cured of the leprosy. Tet the man, 
as soon as he was gone, told all the people what Jesus had done for him. 

Jesus walked on the Sabbath day, -with his disciples, through the fields of 
corn. And they, being hungry, picked some of the ears, and rubbed out the 
grains with their hands and did eat them. When the Pharisees saw it they 
found fault, and said, that the disciples were working on the Sabbath. But 
Jesus told them that he was not to be judged for what he did on that day, 
because he was the Lord, or Master, of the Sabbath. 

238 




JESUS PUT FORTH HIS HAND AND TOUCHED THE LEPER, AND HE WAS CURED. 

ooq St. Luke V. 13. 




GREAT MULTITUDES OF PEOPLE CAME TO JESUS TO BE HEALED OP THEIR INFIRMITIES. 

n . „ St. Luke V. 15. 

240 




THE PHARISEES FIXD FAULT WITH THE DISCIPLES FOR PLUCKING GRAIN OX THE SABBATH DAY. 

n | j St. Mark ii. 24. 



16 



Jesus Chooses the Twelve Apostles. 

JESUS went into a synagogue on the Sabbath clay, and a man was there 
whose hand was withered, so that he could not open it or stretch it out. 
And the Pharisees -watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal the man on the 
Sabbath, that they might accuse him of doing "wrong. 

But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them, If one of you have a sheep 
which should fall into a pit on the Sabbath, would you not lay hold of it and 
lift it out? And if it be right to do good to a sheep, how much more is it to 
do good to a man. Therefore I tell you it is right to do good on the Sabbath 
day. Then he said to the man, Stretch out thy hand. And he stretched it out, 
and it was made well like the other. 

Then the Pharisees were rilled with madness against him, and they went out 
of the synagogue and talked with, one another about some way of putting him 
to death. "When he knew of it he left that place, with his discfples, and came 
to the sea of Galilee. And many persons from Jerusalem and Judea, and from 
countries far off, when they heard of the wonderful works that he did, came to 
him. And those that "were sick crowded around him, that they might by only 
touching him, be made well ; and he healed them all. 

After this, he went out to a desert place alone, and stayed there all night 
praying to God. When it was morning he called his disciples, and chose twelve 
of them that they might be "with him, and that he might send them out to 
preach, and give them power also to do miracles, to heal those that were sick, 
and to cast out devils. 

These twelve he called apostles, which means, Messengers. They were Peter, 
and Andrew his brother, James and John his brother, Philip and Bartholomew, 
Thomas and Matthew the publican, James and Lebbeus, Simon and Judas 
Iscariot. 

And seeing the multitudes that followed him, he went up on to a mountain, 

and when he was set down, his disciples came to him, and he taught them there. 

242 




GREAT MULTITUDES OF PEOPLE FOLLOW JESUS, AND HE TEACHES THEM. 



243 



St. Matthew V.'l. 



Jesus Heals the Woman who Touches His Garment. 

JESUS went into Capernaum. And one of the rulers of the synagogue came 
to him, and kneeling down at his feet, begged him earnestly, saying, My 
little daughter is sick and ready to die: I pray thee come and lay thy 
hands on her, that she may live. Jesus "went with him, and so did his disciples. 
And many people followed after him and crowded around him. Among them 
was a woman who had suffered for twelve years from a disease "which no 
physician could cure; for she had asked many, and given them all the money 
she had, yet she was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard that 
Jesus was there, she said to herself, If I can but touch his garment, I shall be 
made well. So she came in the crowd behind him, and touched him ; and as 
soon as she had done it she felt that her sickness was cured. 

Then Jesus, turning toward the people that followed him, said, Who touched 
me ? His disciples answered, Thou seest the multitude pressing against thee, and 
askest thou, Who touched me? But he looked around to see her who had done 
this thing. When the woman saw that he knew it and that she could not be 
hid, she came trembling, and falling down at his feet, told before all the people, 
wiry she had touched him and how in a moment she "was made well. Jesus said 
to her, Daughter, be not afraid ; because thou hadst faith in me, thou art healed. 

While he yet spoke to the woman, there came to the ruler of the synagogue 
a messenger, saying, Thy daughter is dead ; therefore trouble not the Master any 
further. But Jesus said to him, Fear not; only have faith, and she shall live. 
When they came to the ruler's house, Jesus saw the people "weeping and "wailing 
greatly. He said to them, Why do you weep ? the child is not dead, but sleeping. 
He meant that she shoidd soon rise up> from the dead like one who "waked out 
of sleep. But they "would not believe him, and laughed him to scorn. Then 
Jesus put them all out, and took three of his apostles — Peter, James, and John 
— and the father and the mother of the child, and "went into the room "where 
she lay. And he took her by the hand, and said, I say to thee, arise. And the 
child, who -was twelve years of age, arose and "walked. And those "who saw it 
wondered; and he commanded that food should be given her. 

As Jesus "went away from .the ruler's house, two blind men followed him, 
and cried after him, saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us. They called 
him this because he was descended from king David. Jesus said to them, Do 
you believe that I am able to make you "well? They answered, Yes, Lord. Then 
he touched their eyes, and immediately they could see. Jesus said to them, Tell 
no man what I have done to you. But, when they left him, they told the 
people through all that country how he had healed them. 

And they brought to him a dumb man who could not speak, because of 

an evil spirit. And Jesus cast out the evil spirit, and the man spoke. 

244 




JESUS RAISES TO LIFE THE DAUGHTER OP JATRUS. 



2 I." 



St. Matthew IX. 21. 



Jesus Sends Out His Apostles. 



JESUS came again to Nazareth, "where he had been brought up, and he went 
into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and taught the people. And they 
were astonished at his words, and said, Where did this man get such great 
wisdom, and power to do such wonderful "works? Is he not the son of Joseph, 
the carpenter? Is not his mother named Mary, and are not his brethren and 
his sisters here with us? And they would not believe on him; and because 
they would not, he did no miracles there, except that he put his hands on a 
few sick persons and healed them. 

And he called his twelve apostles to him that he might send them out, 
through all the land, to preach the gospel. Yet. he told them not to go into 
the cities where the Samaritans, or the Gentiles, lived, but to go only among 
the children of Israel. He told them this because the children of Israel were 
God's chosen people, and the gospel was to be preached to them first. 

And before the apostles went, Jesus gave them power to do miracles, so that 
all who should see them do those wonderful works might believe the gosiDel 
that they preached. He said to them, Wherever you shall go among the people, 
heal their sick, make their lepers well, raise their dead; and tell them that 
Christ has come to save all who believe on him. But do not expect them to 
treat you kindly for doing these things; as they have treated me so they will 
treat you. They will take you before their courts to try you, and scourge you, 
because you preach to them about me. Yet do not fear them, they are able 
only to kill your bodies; rather fear God who is able to destroy both soul and 
body in hell. 

And Jesus told the apostles not to take any money, or food, with them for 
their journey ; for all they should need would be given them, because they were 
working for him. He said, You know that two sparrows are sold for a farthing ; 
they are worth so little that men care nothing for them. Yet God cares for 
them ; he feeds them, and not one of them ever dies without his knowing it. 
Fear not then that he will forget you, for you are of more value than many 
sparrows. He remembers the smallest thing about you, and knows even the 
number of the hairs upon your head. And he will remember also those who 
are kind to you, for when any one shall be kind to you, it will be the same as 
if he were kind to me ; and whoever gives you a cup of cold w^ater only, because 
you are my disciples, shall be rewarded for doing it. 

When Jesus had done commanding his twelve apostles, they went out through 
the cities and towns, preaching to the people and healing those who were sick. 
Afterward they came back to him and told him of all they had done in the 
places where they had gone. 

246 




TTIE APOSTLES GO FORTH TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE JEWS. 

o.jy St. Matthew X. 5. 






The People Follow Jesus and the Apostles. 

JESUS said to his ajDostles, Come, let us go to some place apart, where you 
may rest awhile. He said this because there were so many people coming 
and going, that they had no time even to eat. Then they went into a 
boat, and sailed to the other side of the sea of Galilee that they might be alone. 
But when the people heard of it, they followed them on foot, walking around 
lay the side of the sea and coming where Jesus was. 

In the evening his apostles came to him, saying, This is a desert place where 
there is nothing to eat, and the day is now passed: send the people away that 
they may go into the villages and buy themselves food. Jesus said, They need 
not go away, give you them something to eat. The apostles answered, Shall we 
go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat? and even 
this would not be enough for each one of them to take a little. Then he asked 
them how many loaves they had, and they told him five, and two small fishes. 

And he commanded his apostles to make all the people sit down in com- 
panies on the green grass. And Jesus took the five loaves and the two fishes, 
and looked up to heaven and thanked God for them. Then he broke the loaves 
in pieces, and gave them to the apostles ; the fishes also he divided among them. 
And the apostles gave them to the multitude. And Jesus made those few loaves 
and fishes to increase, as they were given to the people, so that there was enough 
for them all. When they had eaten, he said, Gather up Avhat is left, that nothing 
be lost. And they gathered up of the pieces that were left, twelve baskets full. 
Those that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children. 

The people, when they saw this great miracle ■which Jesus did, wanted to 
make him their king, but he left them and "went up on a mountain alone to 
pray. The apostles he sent away in a boat to go across the sea toward Caper- 
naum. And in the evening they were out on the middle of the sea, rowing, for 
the wind was against them, but Jesus was alone on the shore. From there he 
could see them toiling in rowing, for the waves were rough and stormy. And 
in the night he went out to them, walking on the sea. When they saw him, 
they were afraid, and said, It is a spirit: and they cried out with fear. But 
Jesus spoke to them, saying, Be not afraid, It is I. 

Then Peter answered out of the boat, and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me 
come to thee on the water. Jesus said to him, Come. And Peter came down 
out of the boat, and walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he heard 
the noise of the wind and saw the great waves dashing around him, he was 
afraid, and began to sink, and he cried, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus 
stretched out his hand, and caught him, and said to him, O thou of little faith, 
why didst thou doubt? When Jesus and Peter had come into the boat, the wind 

was still; and in a moment the boat was at the land where they wanted to be. 

248 




FIVE LOAVES AND TWO FISHES ARE INCREASED BY A MIRACLE UNTIL THE MULTITUDE ARE FED. 

24Q St. Matthew XIV. 20. 



Jesus Foretells His Death. 



THE Jews expected that their Saviour when he should come, would set them 
free from the Romans and make them into a kingdom, and would reign 
over them like other earthly kings. Even the apostles who were -with 
Jesus all the time, and believed that he was the Saviour, thought he was going 
to set up an earthly kingdom. 

For although they saw he was now a poor man, they did not think he 
would stay so, but expected he would soon become rich and great and would 
make them great too. Like the rest of the Jews, they had not yet learned that 
he had come to rule only in their hearts, and to have his kingdom there; and 
that instead of fighting battles for them and ruling over them as a king, he was 
going to die on the cross for their sins. 

But from this time he began to tell them what 'was really going to happen 
to him ; that he must go to Jerusalem and there be cruelly treated by the chief 
priests, the - scribes and the elders of the Jews ; and that he would be killed by 
them, but would rise from the dead on the third day. 

When Peter heard this he was surprised, and said, No, these things shall not 
happen to thee. Yet it was to suffer these things that Jesus had come into the 
world, and when Peter said they should not happen to him, it seemed as if he 
wanted Jesus to live, and set up an earthly kingdom, rather than die to save 
the people from their sins. Therefore Jesus was much displeased with Peter, and 
called him his enemy, because Peter did not want him to do the things that 
would please God, but the things that would please Peter himself. 

Then Jesus said that if any man wanted to be his disciple, he must not seek 
his own pleasure, but must take up his cross every clay and follow him. Jesus 
meant that his disciples must follow his example and do what is right, no 
matter how hard and painful it may be. For, he asked, what good would it do 
any one to have all that he wanted in this world, or even to have everything 
in the world for his own, as long as he lived; if, after he died, he should lose 
his own soul. 

Jesus took Peter, James, and John, three of his apostles, and went up on a 
high mountain to pray. And "while he prayed, his face was changed, so that it 
shone bright like the sun, and his raiment glistened, and was white as snow. 
And suddenly two men were with him. They were Moses and Elijah, "who had 
come back to this world to talk with him about his being crucified at Jerusalem. 
The Bible says they appeared in glory 

The apostles knew that it was Moses and Elijah, and they wanted to stay 
there on the mount with them, and not go down any more. Peter said, Master, 
it is good for us to be here; if thou art willing, let us make three tents, one for 
thee, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. "While he was speaking, there came a 
bright cloud and covered them, and God's voice spoke out of the cloud, saying, 
This is my beloved Son, hear him. When the apostles heard it, they bowed 
down with their faces to the ground, and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and 
touched them, and said, Arise, be not afraid. And when they had risen up and 
looked around, Moses and Elijah were gone and they saw no one except Jesus. 

250 




THE TRANSFIGURATION'. 
251 



st. Matthew XVII. 2. 



Jesus Answers the Lawyer's Question. . 

ONE day, while Jesus was teaching the people, a lawyer stood up to ask him 
questions, saying, Master, what must I do to be saved? Jesus said to him, 
What does God's law command thee to do? The lawyer answered, that 
it commanded him to love God with all his heart, and his neighbor as himself. 
Jesus said, Thou hast answered right; do these things and thou shalt be saved. 
But the lawyer, because he wanted to excuse himself, said, And who is my 
neighbor ? 

Then Jesus spoke this parable, saying, A certain " man went down from 
Jerusalem to the city of Jericho, and as he went, got among thieves, who 
stripped him of his clothing and wounded him and 'went away, leaving him 
half dead. While he lay on the ground too weak to rise, there came by chance 
a priest that way. As this priest was a minister, and a teacher of God's law, we 
might suppose that he would have shown kindness to the wounded man. But 
instead of this, he crossed over to the other side of the road and went by, 
pretending that he did not see him. And after the priest came a Levite. He 
also was one of those who attended to God's worship at the temple: yet when 
he looked at the man, he passed on as the priest had done, without offering to 
help him. 

But after the priest and the Levite had gone, a Samaritan, as he journeyed 
came to the place. Now the Jews hated the Samaritans, and would have no 
dealings with them. Therefore we would not be surprised to hear that this 
Samaritan had refused to help the wounded Jew. Yet it was not so ; for when 
he saw him he pitied him, and went to him and bound up his "wounds, pouring 
in oil and wine to make, them heal. Then he lifted him up, and setting him on 
his own beast, took him to an inn and nursed him there. The next day when 
he left he took out money, and gave it to the owner of the inn, saying, Take 
care of him; and "whatever more thou shalt spend for him after I am gone, 
when I come again I will pay thee. 

Jesus, after he had told this parable, said, Which now of these three thinkest 
thou was neighbor unto him that fell among thieves? The lawyer answered, The 
one that showed kindness to him. Jesus said to him, Go thou, and do likewise. 

Jesus came to a village called Bethany; and a woman named Martha, 
asked him to her house. Her sister Mary, when Jesus had come, sat down at 
his feet, that she might listen to "what he taught. Then Martha was displeased 
with her sister, and she came to Jesus, saying, Lord, dost thou not care that 
Mary has left me to do the "work alone? Bid her therefore, that she come and 
help me. Jesus answered, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about 
many things ; yet only one thing is needful. Mary has chosen that, and- it shall 
never be taken away from her. 

252 




THE GOOD SAMARITAX PUTS THE WOUNDED MAN UPON HIS OWN REAST. 

o-o St. Ldke X. 34 




THE GOOD SAMARITAN BRINGS THE WOUNDED MAN TO AN INN. 

254 



St. Luke X. 34. 




JESUS AT THE HOUSE OF MARY AND MARTHA IX BETHANY 



ST. I.IK1 X. ' 



J.)-> 



Jesus Goes to Bethany. 



¥ARY and Martha, who lived in the town of Bethany, had a brother 
named Lazarus, and he was sick. Therefore his sisters sent word to 
Jesus, to tell him their brother was sick. Jesus loved Martha and her 
sister and Lazarus, yet when he heard their message, he did not go to them, but 
stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Afterward he said to his 
disciples, Let us go to Bethany, for our friend Lazarus sleepeth and I go to 
awake him out of his sleep. Jesus meant that Lazarus was dead, and that he 
was going to raise him up from the dead. But his disciples thought he meant 
that Lazarus was taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, saying, 
Lazarus is dead. 

rJow Bethany was near to Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the 
Jews had gone there to be- with Martha and Mary, and comfort them in their 
trouble. Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went out to meet 
him, but Mary sat still in the house. Then Martha, when she met Jesus, said to 
him, Lord, if thou hadst been here my brother had not died. But I know that 
even now, whatever thou wilt ask of God, he will give it thee. Jesus said to 
her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha answered, I know that he shall rise 
again at the Judgment day. 

Then Martha went back to her home and called Mary, saying, The Master is 
come, and asks for thee. As soon as Mary heard this she rose quickly to go to 
him, and when she saw him she kneeled down at his feet and said, Lord, if thou 
hadst been here my brother had not died. When Jesus saw her weeping and 
the Jews weeping with her, he was troubled, and said, Where have you laid 
him? They answered, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then the Jews, when 
they saw him weeping, said, See how he loved him. And some of them asked, 
Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind have saved Lazarus from 
dying? 

Jesus came to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone was rolled to the 
mouth of it. Jesus said, Take away the stone. Martha, the sister of Lazarus, said 
to him, Lord, by this time his body is decayed, for he has been dead four days. 
Jesus answered her, Did I not tell thee that if thou wouldst believe in me, thou 
shouldst see how great God's power is? Then they took away the stone. 

Now the Jews, when they buried their dead, wrapped the body in linen and 
tied up the head in a napkin. So they had buried Lazarus. And after the stone 
was taken away from the mouth of the cave, Jesus cried with a loud voice, 
Lazarus, come forth. Then he that was dead came forth, with his hands and 
feet bound in grave-clothes, and his face bound around with a napkin. Jesus said 
to them, Loose him, and let him go. 

256 




JESUS BRINGS FORTH LAZARUS ALIVE PROM THE TOMB. 

2r»7 



St. John XI. 44. 



The Paeable of the Peodigal Son. 

JESUS spoke a parable, saying, There was a man who had two sons; and the 
younger one said to his father, Father, give me my share of the riches 
which thou hast laid up for thy children. And his father gave him his 
share. Not many days after, the younger son took all that he had and went 
away into a far country, and there wasted what his father had given him, 
among wicked companions. When he had spent all, there came a great famine 
in that land and he began to want bread to eat. And he went and hired him- 
self to a man of that country, who sent him out into his fields to feed swine. 

After he had suffered awhile, he said to himself, In my father's house, at 
home, how many hired servants there are who have plenty to eat, and more 
than they want, while I stay here starving with hunger. I will arise and go to 
my father, and 'will say to him, Father, I have sinned against God and done 
"wickedly to thee, and do not deserve any more to be called thy son; let me 
come back to thy house, and treat me as one of thy hired servants. 

So he left that country to go back to his father. But as he went, while he 
"was yet a good way off, his father saw him and pitied him, and ran out to meet 
him, and put his arms around his neck and kissed him. Then the son said to 
him, Father, I have sinned against God and done wickedly to thee, and do not 
deserve any more to be called thy son. But his father said to the servants, 
Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and 
shoes on his feet; and bring here the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and 
be merry ; for this my son had left me and is come back again ; he was lost, 
and is found. And they began to be merry. 

Now the elder son was out in the field, and when he came near to the 
house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and 
asked him what these things meant. The servant answered, Thy brother is here 
and thy father has killed the fatted calf, because he has come back safe and sound. 

Then the elder son was angry and "would not go in ; therefore his father came 
out to him and begged him. But he answered his father, and said, For a great 
many years I have served thee, neither did I ever disobey thy commandments, 
yet thou never gavest me a kid that I might make a feast for my friends. But 
as soon as this thy son "was come, who has "wasted thy money in doing wickedly, 
thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. The father answered, My son, I have 
always loved thee, and everything I have is the same as though it "were thine. 
Yet it is right that we should be glad and rejoice, for this thy brother had left 
us, and he is come back again ; he "was lost, and is found. 

In this parable Jesus taught the proud Scribes and Pharisees, "who blamed 

him for preaching to sinners, that God loved those sinners and "was willing to 

forgive them. 

258 




HIS FATHER SAW HIM WHILE YET A GREAT WAY OFF AXD RAX TO MEET HIM. 



:>.->!• 



St. Likk XV. 20. 



The Paeable of the Rich, and the Pooe Mak 

JESUS spoke this parable to the people who loved to be rich, and to spend 
their time only in enjoying themselves, bnt did not care to obey God. 

He said, There was a rich man who was dressed in the most beantiful 
garments, and ate the nicest of food every day. And there was a beggar named 
Lazarus, who was sick, and covered with sores. And because he was poor, and 
had nothing to eat, his friends carried him and laid him down every day at the 
rich man's gate, so that he might get the crumbs and pieces of food that were 
left from the rich man's table. And even the dogs seemed to pity him, for they 
came and licked his sores. 

And the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to heaven. He was not 
poor there, neither had he to beg his food. He ate at the table "with Abraham 
and leaned upon Abraham's bosom. 

Afterward the rich man died also, but his soul went where the wicked go. 
And in hell, while he was being punished for his sins, he looked up and saw 
Abraham afar off and Lazarus leaning on his bosom. 

And he cried, saying, Father Abraham, have pity upon me, and send Lazarus 
that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and come with it and cool my 
tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said to him, Remember 
that in thy lifetime thou hadst good things, but Lazarus evil things; but now 
he is comforted and thou art tormented. And, beside this, there is between us 
and you a great gulf which no one can pass, so that those who would go from 
us to you cannot, and those who -would come to us from you cannot come. 

Then the rich man said, If Lazarus cannot come to me, I pray thee send him 
to my father's house, for I have five brethren living there, that he may tell them 
to repent and obey God, so that they come not, when they die, to this dreadful 
place. Abraham answered, They have the Scriptures to read, Let them learn to 
repent from them. 

And the rich man said, Nay, Father Abraham, but if one from the dead 

shall go and sj)eak to them, they surely will repent. Abraham answered him, 

If they will not hear what God says to them in the Scriptures, they would not 

be persuaded to obey him. even though one rose from the dead. 

260 




LAZARUS THE BEGGAR AT THE RICH MAN'S GATE. 

261 



St. Lcke XVI. 20. 



Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican. 



JESUS spoke this parable to the people who thought themselves more righteous 
than others. He said, Two men went up to the ' temple to pray, one of 
them was a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee chose a place 
where the people would see him ; there he stood up proudly and prayed in this 
way, God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, who are unjust, and who 
take more than belongs to them. I thank thee that I am not a sinner like this 
publican. I fast twice in the week; I give to the priests and Levites a tenth 
part of all that I get. 

But the publican, who felt himself to be wicked and was sorry for it, stood 
where he hoped no one would notice him, and bowing down his head, he beat 
upon his breast in great distress, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. Then 
Jesus told those who listened to him that this XDublican went back to his home, 
forgiven more than the Pharisee. For, he said, every one who is proud and 
thinks much of himself, shall be put down, but he that is humble and confesses 
his sin shall be raised up higher. 

The people brought little children to Jesus, that he might put his hands on 
them and bless them. And his discrples found fault with those who brought 
them, and would have sent them away. But Jesus was much displeased at his 
disciples, and said, Let the little children come unto me, and forbid them not, 
for of such is the kingdom of heaven. He meant that only those persons who 
are humble and loving, like little children, shall come into his kingdom. And 
he took the little children up in his arms, and put his hands upon them and 
blessed them. 

And as they journeyed together, he took the twelve apostles aside by them- 
selves, and told them they were going up to Jerusalem and that when they 
should come there, all those things would happen to him which the iDrophets 
had spoken. He would be mocked, and scourged, and spit upon, and crucified; 
and the third day he would rise again. But the apostles, because they still 
expected that he was going to set up an earthly kingdom, could not under- 
stand him when he spoke of those things. 

262 




THE PHARISEE STANDS AND PRAYS. THE PUBLICAN DARES NOT LIFT HIS EYES TO HEAVEN. 

263 St- Luke XVIII. 10. 



Jesus Goes to Jerusalem. 

/T "T ^HEJST the time for the feast of the passover was near, many of the people 
V V went np to Jerusalem to keep it. Then they looked for Jesus, and as 
they stood in the courts of the temple, spoke to one another, saying, What think 
you, will he not come to the feast? For both the chief priests and the Pharisees 
had given a commandment, that if any man knew where Jesus was, he should 
tell them. And six days before the passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where 
Lazarus lived, whom he had raised from the dead. The Jews knew that Lazarus 
was there, and they came to Bethany not to see Jesus only, but Lazarus also. 
Then the chief priests talked with one another, seeking some way to put Lazarus 
to death ; because many of the Jews, after they had seen him, believed on Jesus. 

And Jesus left Bethany to go to Jerusalem. When he was come to the 
mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying, Go into the village which 
is near you, and you shall find there a colt tied, on -which no man ever yet 
rode. Loose him, and bring him to me. If any man asks, Why do you this? 
you shall say, Because the Lord has need of him ; and immediately he will send 
him. And the two disciples went and found the colt, as Jesus had said. As they 
were loosing him, the owners asked, Why loose you the colt? They answered, 
The Lord has need of him. Then they let them take him. And they brought 
him to Jesus; and the disciples put their garments upon the colt and Jesus sat 
on him. 

As he rode toward the city a great multitude took off their outer garments 

and spread them in the way. Others cut down branches from the trees and 

strewed them in the way, that he might ride over them. They did this to 

honor him, for so the people used to do when a king rode through their streets. 

And the multitudes that went before and that followed after, cried with a loud 

voice, praising him, and saying, Hosanna ! Blessed is he that has come to us, 

sent by the Lord. Yet Jesus knew that although they now praised him, they 

did not love him in their hearts, and that in a few days they "would be crying 

out to crucify him. As he came near to Jerusalem, he looked on it and wept, 

when he thought of the sufferings that were coming upon the Jews. Their 

enemies would bring an army, he said, and make a camp around the city, and 

besiege it and destroy. it; every house would be thrown down, so that not one 

stone would be left standing upon another; because, although he had come 

from heaven to save them, the Jews would not believe on him, and were now 

going to put him to death. 

264 




JESUS ENTERS JERUSALEM, AND THE WHOLE MULTITUDE OF THE DISCIPLES REJOICE. 

ST. I.l-KK XI 

2oo 



Jesus Heals the Blind and Lame. 



JESUS came into Jerusalem, and went np to the temple, and the blind and 
the lame were brought' to him, and he healed them. But when the chief 
priests and the Scribes saw the miracles that he did, and heard the chil- 
dren in the temple praising him and crying out, Hosanna, they were much 
displeased. 

In the evening he went out of the city to Bethany, and slept there. In the 
morning, as he came back to Jerusalem, he was hungry, and seeing a fig-tree on 
the way, he went to it to eat of the fruit, but found only leaves on the tree. 
Then he said to it, Let no more fruit grow on thee forever; and the disciples 
heard his words. The next day, as they passed by again, they saw that the 
fig-tree was dried up from the roots, for it was dead. And remembering the 
words that Jesus had spoken, they said, How soon has the fig-tree withered 
away. 

A Pharisee, who was also a teacher of the laws of Moses, came to Jesus and 
asked him a question : he said, Master, which is the first, or principal one, of all 
God's commandments? Jesus answered, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with 
all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first 
and great commandment. And the other one that is like it is, Thou shalt love 
thy neighbor as thyself. Then Jesus said, On these two commandments hang 
all the law and the prophets; he meant, that all the other commandments in 
the Bible come from these two. For if we obey the first, we shall do all our 
duty to God, and if we obey the last, we shall do all our duty to our neighbor; 
and so we shall do everything that the Bible commands us to do. 

Jesus spoke to the Scribes and Pharisees and called them hypocrites,- because 
they loved to sit in the chief seats in the synagogues and to make long prayers 
there, that the people might see and praise them; while, at the same time, they 
were unjust to other persons and cruel to the poor, taking for their own what 
did not belong to them. For these things, Jesus said, they shoiild receive the 
greater punishment at the Judgment day. 

And he sat in the court of the temple where the chests, or boxes, "were 
placed, into which the people cast the money that they gave to buy sacrifices. 
And many persons who were rich gave much. And there came a poor widow 
who gave two mites, which were less than a penny. Then Jesus called his 
disciples to him, and told them that what the poor widow cast in, seemed more 
to God than all that the rich men had given. For they, Jesus said, had much 
left for themselves, because they gave out of their riches; but she had nothing 
left for herself, because she gave all that she had, even to live upon. 

The Pharisees tried to entangle Jesus in his talk, and they sent, and asked 
him this question, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute to Csesar, 
or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, 
ye hypocrites? Show me the tribute money. And, they brought him a penny. 
And he said unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They said, 
Csesar's. Then he said unto them, Pender therefore unto Csesar the things which 
are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. 

266 




THE POOR WIDOW CASTS INTO THE TREASURY ALL THE LIVING THAT SHE HAS. 

„ ._ St. Iakk XXI. 2. 



JlXDAS AGEEES FOR THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER TO BETRAY JESUS. 



7VLTHOTJGH the Jews had seen Jesus do many miracles, they would not 

_Jy\_ believe that he was the Saviour, because their hearts were wicked. Yet 

many of their rulers believed on him, but were afraid to confess it, lest 

the Pharisees should forbid them to come into the synagogue; for they cared 

more to have men think well of them than they did to please God. 

As Jesus 'was going away from the temple, one of his disciples came to him 
and said, Look, Master, at the great stones and beautiful buildings that are here. 
Jesus answered him, Dost thou see these great buildings? Verily I say unto 
thee, the day is coming when they shall all be thrown down, so that not one 
stone of them will be left standing upon another. Jesus said this because he 
knew that the Jews were going to crucify him, and that afterward, God 'would 
punish them by sending their enemies against them, who "would destroy their 
city and their temple. 

The chief priests and scribes were anxious to take Jesus; and they met 
together at the house of the high priest seeking how they might do this by 
cunning, and afterward put him to death. But, they said, we cannot do it on 
the feast day "when all the people will be gathered together, lest they be angry 
and it cause a disturbance among them. 

Judas Iscariot knowing that they "wanted to take Jesus, went to the chief 
priests, and said to them, What will you give me, if I bring you to the place 
"where he is, so that you may take him? And they promised to give him thirty 
pieces of silver. From that time he tried to find Jesus alone, that he might 
betray him to them. 

And when the day -was come the Jews made ready for the feast of the 
passover. To do this, each man among them took a lamb to the temple and 
killed it, as a sacrifice, before the altar. Then the priests burned its fat on the 
altar, but the rest of the lamb the man took to his home; there it was roasted 
with fire, and he and his family ate of it in the night ; for, as we have read, the 
feast of the passover was eaten in the night. 

Jesus and his apostles were going to keep this feast together, and the apostles 
came to him and asked at what place they should make it ready. He answered, 
Go into Jerusalem, and there shall meet you a man carrying a pitcher of water ; 
follow him into the house where he is going, and say to the man who lives 
there, The Master wants thee to show us the chamber where he shall come to 
eat the feast of the passover "with his disciples. And the man will show you a 
large upper room, furnished; there make ready the feast. The disciples did as 
Jesus commanded, and the man showed them the room and they made the feast 
ready there. 

268 




THEY ASK JESUS WHETHER TT IS LAWFUL TO PAY TRIBUTE TO CJESAR OR NO. 

.)i;<l St. Luke XX. 22. 



The Last Supper. 



IN the evening Jesus came ■with, his twelve apostles to keep the feast of the 
passover. And he said to them, I have greatly desired to eat this passover 
with you before I die, for I say unto you, I will not any more eat of the 
lamb that has been sacrificed, until I myself have been sacrificed for the sins of 
the people. But the apostles did not understand him when he spoke of being 
sacrificed for the people. They still thought he was going to set up an earthly 
kingdom, and that now the time for him to do this was coming near. 

And they began to dispute among themselves, as they had done before, about 
which of them should be greatest in that kingdom. Then Jesus told them that 
among the people of this world, those 'who were great ruled over the rest. But, 
he said, it shall not be so with you. For -whoever among you will be the 
greatest, let him be the most humble, and the one who will be chief, let him 
be as if he were the servant of all. 

Then Jesus asked them which was the greatest, the person who ate at the 
table, or the one who served him while he was eating. Yet, he said, I am among 
you as the one who serves. And he arose from the table and laid aside his outer 
garment, and took a towel and girded himself with it. After that he poured 
water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples 1 feet and to wipe them with 
the towel with which he was girded. 

After he had washed their feet, and put on the garment which he had laid 
aside and come to the table again, he said to them, Do you know what I have 
done unto you? Tou call me Master and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 
If I, then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you ought to -wash one 
another's feet, for I have given you an example that you should do as I have 
done to you. 

And as they ate of the passover, Jesus said to them, "Verily, I say unto you, 
one of you who are eating with me shall betray me. Then the disciples were 
filled with sorrow, and they looked on one another wondering of Avhom he spoke. 
Now there was leaning on Jesus 1 bosom one of his disciples whom Jesus loved. 
Peter therefore motioned to him that he should ask Jesus of whom he spoke. 
He then that leaned on Jesus 1 breast said to him, Lord, who is it? Jesus 
answered, It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it 
in the dish. And when he had dipped the bread he gave it to Judas Iscariot. 
After that, Satan went into Judas. Then Jesus said to him, What thou art going 
to do, do quickly. Then Judas went out from the house where Jesus and the 
apostles were. And it was night. 

After this, as they were eating together Jesus took bread and blessed it, and 
broke it in pieces and gave it to his apostles, saying, Take and eat, for this is 
my body which is broken for you. Then he took some wine in a cup and 
when he had thanked God, he gave it to them and they all drank of it. And 
he said to them, This wine is my blood, which is shed for the forgiveness of 
sins. And he commanded his apostles to meet together, after he should be put 
to death, to eat the bread and drink the wine in the same way that he had 
shown them; and as often as they did it to remember him. 

270 




JESUS AND THE TWELVE APOSTLES EAT THE FEAST OF THE PASSOVER. 

^_. St. Luke XXII. 14. 



Jesus is Betrayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. 




"FTER Jesus and his apostles had eaten the feast of the passover together, 
they went out from the house, and came to the mount called the mount 
of Olives, "which was a little way from Jerusalem ; and they went into a 
garden that was there, called the garden of Gethsemane. And Jesus said to his 
apostles, Sit ye here while I go yonder and pray. 

And he went a little way from them, and kneeled down and prayed. And 
now, because he was being punished for our sins, and knew that in a few hours 
he would be crucified, he was in an agony, and his sweat seemed like great 
drops of blood falling down to the ground; and an angel came and comforted 
him. 

t 

When he rose up from prayer and went back to his disciples, he found 
them sleeping, and he said- to them, Why sleep ye? Arise and pray, lest yon 
be tempted to do wrong. And he went away and prayed again, and came and 
found them sleeping. But when he came the third time, he said, Rise up, and 
let us be going; behold, he who will betray me is coming near. 

Now Judas had been watching when Jesus went to the garden. And because 
it was night and only a few of his disciples were with him, Judas thought it 
the best time to betray his Master. Therefore he went to the chief priests and 
elders and told them, and they gave him a band of men to go with him and 
take Jesus ; and now Judas was bringing the men to th,e garden, and Jesus knew 
it, yet he did not flee, but waited to let them take him, because the time had 
come for him to die. And while he was yet speaking with his apostles, and 
telling them that the one who would betray him -was near, Judas came, and 
with him the band of men carrying swords and staves, and lanterns. 

And Judas had given them a sign, saying, The one that I shall kiss is he; 
take him and hold him fast. Then he came to Jesus, and said, Master, Master, 
and kissed him. Jesus said to him, Judas, dost thou betray me with a kiss? 
Then the men laid their hands on Jesus and took him. When the apostles saw 
them take Jesus, they said to him, Lord, shall we fight them with the sword? 
And Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck a servant of the high priest and 
cut off his ear. But Jesus said, Put thy sword back again into the sheath. 
Might I not now pray to my Father that he should send me quickly many 
thousands of angels to fight for me and save me from death? But how then 
could the words of the prophets come true, which say that I am to die for the 
people? Then Jesus touched the servant's ear and healed it. And he said to 
the men that took him, Have you come out with swords and staves, as though. 
I were a thief, to take me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and 

you did nothing to me. Then all his apostles, being afraid, left him and fled. 

272 




18 



•JUDAS BETRAYS .JESUS WITH A KISS. 

t 

273 



BT. Like XXII. 47. 



Jesus is given up to the Jews by Pilate. 

WHEN the people cried out that Jesus should be crucified, Pilate saw that 
he could not persuade them to set him free; then he took some water 
and washed his hands before the people, saying, I am not to blame 
for the death of this just man; see you to it. Then, answered all the Jews, Let 
the blame be on us and on our children. 

Now the Romans, before they crucified a man, used to scourge him. He 
was stripped to the waist, his hands were bound to a low post, or pillar, in 
front of him, so as to make him stoop forward ; and while he stood in this way, 
he was cruelly beaten with rods, or cords. Pilate, therefore, took Jesus and 
scourged him. 

Then the soldiers, who were to put him to death, led him into a room in 
the governor's palace, and called together the whole band of soldiers to which 
they belonged. There they took off his outer garment, and to mock him, they 
put on him a purple robe: And when they had plaited a wreath of thorns, 
they put it on his head instead of a crown ; and instead of a golden sceptre, 
such as kings held, they put a reed, or stick, in his right hand. Then they 
bowed down before him, pretending he was a king, and saying, Hail, King of 
the Jews! And they spat upon him, and took the reed, and struck him upon 
the head, and smote him 'with their hands. 

And now, after he had suffered all these things, Pilate hoped that the Jews 
might be -willing to let him go. Therefore he spoke to them again, saying, I 
bring him out to you, to tell you once more that I find no fault in him. Then 
came Jesus out before the multitude, wearing the crown of thorns and the 
purple robe. And Pilate said to them, Behold the man ! But when the chief 
priests and officers saw him, they cried out, Crucify him, crucify him! Pilate 
said to them, Take him yourselves, then, and crucify him, for I find no fault in 
him. The Jews answered, We have a lav/, and by our law he ought to die, 
because he said that he "was the Son of God. 

When Pilate heard them say this he was the more afraid to put Jesus to 
death, and he said to him, From what place didst thou come? But Jesus gave 
him no answer. Then said Pilate, Wilt thou not speak to me? Knowest thou 
not that I have power to crucify thee, and power to let thee go? Jesus 
answered, Thou canst do only that to me which God will let thee do. From 
that time Pilate tried to set him free. Now the emperor of Rome was named 
Caesar. He "was a jealous and cruel man, and Pilate feared him. When the Jews 
saw that Pilate "wanted to set Jesus free, they cried out, If thou let this man 
go thou art not Csesar's friend, because he said he was king instead of Csesar. 
After they said this Pilate "was afraid to let Jesus go, lest the Jews might tell 
Csesar. Therefore he gave him to them to be crucified. 

Judas Iscariot who had betrayed him, "when he saw that Jesus must 
die, "was afraid at what he had done, and he brought the thirty pieces of silver 
back to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned, because I have 
betrayed one who is innocent. They answered, What is that to us? see thou to 
that. Then Judas threw down the thirty pieces of silver in the court of the 
temple, and went away and hanged himself. 

276 




THEY MOCK JESUS. 
277 



St. Matthew XXVII. 29. 




Jesus is Crucified. 



'HE soldiers took off the purple robe from Jesus and put his own clothes 
on him, and led him away to put him to death. They made a man 
named Simon, whom they met coming out of the country, help him 
carry the cross. And there followed him a great multitude of people, and of 
■women, who mourned and wept for him. 

And they brought him to a place called Calvary, which was a little way 
outside of the gates of Jerusalem. There they nailed his hands and his feet to 
the cross and crucified him. While they were crucifying him Jesus prayed for 
them, saying, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do ! 

And with him they crucified two thieves, one on his right hand and the 
other on his left. 

Now persons who were crucified did not die at once; they lived for many 
hours, hanging on the cross. So Jesus, although he was crucified in the morning, 
hung in agony until the afternoon. And the soldiers who had crucified him, sat 
down and watched him there. And they took his garments and divided them 
among themselves; but for his coat they cast lots. And upon the cross, above 
his head, Pilate set up this writing, JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF 
THE JEWS. These words, then, read many of the Jews, for the place where he 
■was crucified was near the city. And those that passed by felt no pity for him, 
but shook their heads at him, saying, If thou be the Son of God, come down 
from the cross. The chief priests and the scribes also mocked him, and said, He 
trusted in God, let God help him now if he will have him. 

And one of the thieves who were crucified with him spoke wickedly to Jesus, 
saying, If thou art the Christ, save thyself and us. But the other thief answered 
him, and said, Dost thou not fear God, seeing thou also art soon to die? And 
we deserve to die for our wicked acts, but this man has done nothing wrong. 
Then he said to Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 
Jesus answered him, To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise. 

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land till the ninth 
hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, My God, My 
God, why hast thou forsaken me? 

One of the men who were standing near, when he heard him cry, ran and 
took a sponge and filled it with vinegar, and lifted it up on a reed to his mouth 
and gave him to drink. When Jesus, therefore, had taken the vinegar, he said, 
It is finished. He meant that the work which he had come to do, and the 
punishment which he had come to bear, for us, were finished. And he bowed 
his head and died. Then the curtain, called the veil, which hung in the temple, 
■was torn in two from the top to the bottom; the earth shook, the rocks were 
broken in pieces, and the graves were opened, and many of those persons, who, 
■while they lived, had served the Lord, arose and came out of their graves after 
Jesus himself had risen from the dead ; and they went into Jerusalem, and were 
seen by many there. 

When the Roman soldiers who were watching Jesus saw these things that 
were done, they feared greatly, and said, Surely this man was the Son of God. 

278 




SIMON OF CYRENE CARRIES THE CROSS. 



279 



ST. Matthew XXVII. 32. 




JESUS IS CRUCIFIED. 

4 

I 

280 



St. Matthew XXVII. 35. 




RAISING THE CROSS. 
281 



St. Matthew XXVII. 35. 



Jesus is Buried and Rises feom the Dead. 

NOW the Jews who were in the city did not know that Jesus was dead, and 
because the next day was the Sabbath, and they were unwilling to let 
the bodies hang on the cross during the Sabbath day, they begged Pilate 
to send and kill Jesus and the two thieves "who were crucified "with him, so that 
they could be taken down and buried before the Sabbath began. Then Pilate 
commanded the soldiers, and they went and broke the legs of the two thieves 
to kill them, but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was dead already, 
they broke not his legs. But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, 
and there came out from it blood and water. 

At the place where Jesus was crucified was a garden, and in the garden a 
new sepulchre in 'which no one had ever been buried. It was a cave cut out of 
a rock, and belonged to a rich man named Joseph who came from the city of 
Arimathea. Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, though he had never before let it be 
known because he "was afraid of the Jews. But now, after Jesus was dead, he 
"went boldly to Pilate and begged for his body. Then Pilate commanded that 
the body should be given him. And Joseph took it down from the cross and 
wrapped it in new, fine linen that he had bought, and laid it in the sepulchre, 
and rolled a great stone to the door and left it there. 

After Jesus -was buried, the chief priests and the Pharisees came to Pilate 
and asked that the sepulchre might be "watched lest his disciples should come in 
the night and steal him away, and then go and tell the people he had risen 
from the dead. Pilate answered, You shall have soldiers to guard the sepulchre, 
go and make it as sure as you can. So they "went and made the sepulchre sure, 
setting soldiers to watch it, and sealing the stone that was rolled to the door. 

But that night the angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled 
back the stone from the door and sat upon it. His face was bright like light- 
ning, and his garments were as "white as snow ; the soldiers trembled for fear of 
him, and were weak and helpless as dead men. And they left the sepulchre and 
went into the city again. 

But very early in the morning, as soon as it began to be light on the first 

day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, and Salome, came to the 

sepulchre, bringing spices to put upon the body of Jesus. As they were coming, 

they said to one another, Who shall roll away the stone for us from the door of 

the sepulchre? for it was very great. But when they came near, they found the 

stone was rolled away. And going into the sepulchre they saw an angel clothed 

in a long white garment, and they "were affrighted. He said to them, Be not 

affrighted: You seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, he is risen. See 

the place where they laid him. But go tell his disciples that he is risen from 

the dead, and that he will go before you into Galilee; there you shall see him. 

282 




JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA TAKES THE BODY OF JESUS DOWN FROM THE CROSS. 

9C ^o St. Mark XV. 46. 




JOSEPH BURIES JESUS IN A SEPULCHRE HEWN OUT OP THE ROCK. 

284 St. Mask XV. 46. 







TWO WOMEN VISIT THE SEPULCHRE. THE AXGEL TELLS THEM THAT .JESUS HAS RISKX. 

ngK St. Makk XVI. 5. 




Jesus Appears to his Disciples. 



"FTER the angel had told the "women that Jesus was risen from the dead, 
they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre with fear and yet 
with great gladness, and ran to hring his disciples word. As they went 
Jesus met them and spoke to them, saying, Rejoice. And they came and held 
him by the feet, and worshipped him. He said to them, Be not afraid; but tell 
my brethren that they go into Galilee; there shall they see me. 

And the women came and told all these things to the eleven apostles, and 
to the disciples who were with them. And Peter and John, "when they heard 
what the -women said, came in haste to the sepulchre. They ran both of them 
together, but John did outrun Peter and came first to the sepulchre ; and stooping 
down and looking in at the door, he saw the linen clothes which Jesus had -worn, 
lying there, yet he did not go in. But Peter, "when he came, went into the 
sepulchre and saw 'the linen clothes, and the napkin "which had been "wrapt 
about the head of Jesus, not lying with the linen clothes, but folded together in 
a place by itself. Then John went in also, and he saw and believed that Jesus 
was risen. For before that time they did not understand the -words which he 
had spoken to them -while he -was yet alive, saying, that after three days he 
would rise from the dead. And the apostles went away to their own homes. 

On the first day of the -week when Jesus -was risen from the dead, two of his 
disciples -were "walking together to a village called Emmaus, -which was about 
seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked with one another of all the things 
that had been done. And it -was so, that while they -were talking, Jesus came 
near and -went with them. But he -was changed so that they did not know him. 
And he said to them, "What is it that you are saying to one another as you 
walk, and are sad? 

They answered, that he must be a stranger in Jerusalem if he had not heard 
of the things -which had happened there, and they told him about the crucifixion 
of Jesus and of his rising from the tomb. Then Jesus told the two disciples that 
although these things seemed strange to them, they were foretold by the Scrip- 
tures, and he began and explained to them -what was -written about himself in 
all the Scriptures. But still the two disciples did not know him. 

As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked on, 

as though he -would leave them and go further. But they, supposing him to 

be some traveller, said to him, Come and stay -with us to-night, for it is near 

evening and the day has almost gone. Then he went with them into the house. 

And while they -were at supper Jesus took bread, and after he had thanked God 

for it, he broke it and gave it to them. But as he did this they knew him ; and 

suddenly he was gone out of their sight. 

286 




JESUS APPEARS TO TWO OF HIS DISCIPLES. AND WALKS WITH THEM TO EMMAUS. 

9 „_ St. Like XXIV. 16. 



Jesus is Seen by Many and Ascends to Heayen. 

7VFTER Jesus had showed himself to the two disciples at Emmaus they rose 

■/4s\ up, that same hour and went hack to Jerusalem, and found the eleven 

6 apostles gathered together there, and others with them. And the two 

disciples told them how they had seen Jesus and talked with him, and how 

they had known him as he was breaking the bread. While they were speaking, 

Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and said, Peace be unto you. 

Thomas, one of the apostles, was not with the others when Jesus came. 
They therefore told him, afterward, that they had seen the Lord. But Thomas 
answered, Except I shall see in his hands the marks of the nails, and thrust my 
hand into the "wound that the spear made in his side, I will not believe it was he. 

And after eight days the apostles were again gathered together, Thomas also 
being with them, and the doors of the room were shut. Then came Jesus and 
stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Peach 
hither thy finger and touch -my hands, and reach hither thy hand and thrust it 
into my side, and be not faithless, but believe that I have risen again. When 
Thomas heard his voice and knew that it was Jesus, he said, My Lord and my 
God. Jesus said to him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me thou hast believed; 
but I say unto thee, Blessed are those who are willing to believe even though 
they have not seen me. 

After these things Jesus showed himself again to his disciples at the sea of 
Galilee. There were together Peter, and Thomas, Nathaniel, and James, and John, 
and two other of his disciples. Peter said to them, I am going a-fishing. They 
answered, We will go with thee. They went, therefore, into a boat and sailed 
out on the sea, but that night caught nothing. When the morning had come, 
Jesus stood on the shore; but the disciples did not know it was Jesus. And he 
spoke to them, saying, Have you any food? They .answered, No. He said, Cast 
the net on the right side of the boat and you shall find some. They did as he 
commanded and then were not able to draw up the net, because of the multitude 
of fishes that were caught in it. 

Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, It is the Lord. 

At another time Jesus met them on a mountain in Galilee, where he had told 
them to go that they might see him, and when they saw him they worshipped 
him. 

Not only to his disciples did Jesus show himself, but he was seen also by 
more than five hundred of those who believed on him, at one time. And when 
forty days were past after he had risen from the dead, he met his apostles again 
at Jerusalem. And when he had talked with them, and commanded them to wait 
there until the Holy Spirit should be sent upon them, he led them out as far as 
Bethany. And he lifted np his hands and blessed them. And it was so, that 
while he blessed them, he was taken from them and carried up into heaven ; and 
he went into a cloud out of their sight. And while they looked toward heaven 
as he went up, behold, two angels stood by them, in white garments, who said, 
Ye men of Galilee, Why stand you gazing up into heaven ? This same Jesus who 
is taken up from you into heaven, shall come down again, in the clouds, as yon 
have seen him go up into heaven. 

288 




19 



JESUS ASCENDS INTO HEAVEN. 
289 



St. Like XXIV. 51. 



The Apostles aee Able to Speak in Diffeeent Tongues. 



7VFTEE Jesus was taken "up into heaven the aiDOstles returned to Jerusalem, as 

AA he had commanded, to wait there until the Holy Spirit should be sent 

^ upon them. And they gathered together in an upper room, and there 

prayed and gave thanks to God. Other disciples also were 'with them, the 

number of those who met together being about a hundred and twenty. 

Then Peter stood up among them and said, Men and brethren, the words 
which the prophet spoke about Judas must come true, for it is "written of him 
in the Scriptures that he should be put away from being an apostle, and another 
should take his place. And the disciples agreed to what Peter said. Then 
they took two men, named Joseph and Matthias, and prayed, saying, Thou, 
Lord, who canst see every man's heart, show us which of these two thou hast 
chosen. And they cast lots to know which one it would be; and the lot fell 
on Matthias, and after that he was counted with the eleven apostles. 

When the day for the feast of harvest, or Pentecost, was come, the disciples 
were all met together in one place. And suddenly they heard a sound like the 
rushing of a great wind from heaven, which filled the house where they were 
sitting. And there apiDeared in the room what seemed to be flames of fire, in the 
shape of tongues, and one of these flames rested on the head of each of the 
disciples. Then the Holy Spirit came into them, as Jesus had iDromised, and 
they all began to speak in other languages, such as they had never understood 
before. The Holy Spirit made them able to do this, so that they might go to 
far off countries and preach the gospel there. 

Now there were at that time in Jerusalem, Jews who had come from the 
countries where those languages were spoken ; and when they heard the disciples, 
they "were astonished, and asked, Do not all these men live in Galilee? How, 
then, are they able to speak the languages of those countries where ^ve were 
born? Others, who did not understand the words that the dis.ciples spoke, 
mocked them, and said they had been drinking wine, and were drunken. 

But Peter, standing up with the other apostles, said to the people, These 
men are not drunken as you suppose, but God has sent his Holy Spirit into 
them. Therefore listen, ye men of Israel, to what I now say : Jesus of Nazareth, 
-who did great miracles among you, which showed that God had sent him, you 
have taken and wickedly have put to death. But he has risen up from the dead, 
for it is written in the Scriptures that God would raise him up. And we, his 
apostles, have seen him since he rose. Therefore you, and all the children of 
Israel, may surely know that this Jesus, whom you have crucified, is the Saviour 
that was to come into the world. 

When the Jews heard these words they "were filled with sorrow for what 
they had done, and they said to Peter and the other apostles, Men and brethren, 
■what shall we do? Peter answered them, Eepent of your sins, and be baptized, 
and the Holy Ghost shall be given to you also ; for God has promised to send 
him to you, and your children, and to all who hear and obey him when he 
calls. Then great numbers believed on the Lord Jesus, so that about three 
thousand persons were baptized that same day. 

290 




THERE APPEARED CLOVEX TONGUES AS OF FIRE, AND DESCENDED UPON EACH OF THEM. 

901 Acts II. 3. 



N 



Peter Heals a Lame Man at the Temple. 

OW Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer. 
And a poor man, who had been lame ever since he was born, was carried 
every day by his friends, and laid at the gate, called the Beautiful Gate 
of the temple, that he might ask alms, or gifts, of those who came up to worship. 
This man seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked them for 
alms. P'eter, fixing his eyes upon him, said, Look on us. And the man attended, 
for he supposed they would give something to him. Then Peter said, I have no 
silver and gold, but what I have I will give to thee. I tell thee, in the name of 
Jesus Christ of Nazareth, to rise up and walk. And Peter took him by the right 
hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle-bones were made 
strong, and he, leaping up, stood and walked and went with them into the 
temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. 

And all the people saw him, and knew that it was he who sat to ask for 
alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. And they were filled with wonder at 
what had been done, and ran together to the xDlace where the apostles stood. 
Then Peter spoke to them, saying, You men of Israel, -why wonder you at this? 
or why do you look so earnestly on us, as if we had made this man to walk? 
It is Jesus who has given us the power to make him well. Therefore, brethren, 
repent, and believe on Jesus, that when he shall come again at the Judgment 
day, your sins may be forgiven. 

Now there was among the Jews a sect, or society of men, called Sadducees, 
who did not believe there would ever be any Judgment day, or that the dead 
would ever rise up from their graves. Some of these Sadducees belonged to the 
Council of the Sanhedrim, and were rulers over the people. And while Peter 
and John were speaking at the temple, they came there, being angry, because 
the apostles preached about Jesus and the resurrection, that is, the rising up 
from the dead. And they put them in prison to keep them during the night. 

The next day all the council met together, and when Peter and John were 
brought before them they questioned them. Then Peter and John said, as they 
had done before, that it was by the power of Jesus that the lame man had been 
made well. 

When the rulers saw that Peter and John were poor and unlearned men, and 
yet were bold, and without fear, in speaking before them, they were astonished. 
But seeing the man who had been healed standing near them, they could not 
deny what the apostles had done. Then commanding them to go for a little 
while out of the council, they talked among themselves, saying, What shall we 
do to these men, for that they have done a great miracle is known to all the 
people in Jerusalem, and we cannot contradict it. But that the news of it may 
spread no further, let us say that we will punish them if they preach any more 
to the people. Then they called Peter and John, and commanded them not to 
speak at all, nor teach about Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, saying, 
Whether it is right for us to obey you more than God, you yourselves, may 
judge; for we cannot help teaching the people about Jesus, and telling them of 
the things that we have heard him speak, and seen him do. So when the rulers. 
had threatened again to punish them, they let them go. 

292 




PETER AXD JOHX CURE A LAME MAX AT THE GATE OF THE TEMPLE. 

293 acts III. 7. 



Deacons are Chosen and Stephen is Stoned. 

THT^HEN the Holy Spirit had come "upon the apostles and they began to 
YY preach to the people, great numbers believed on the Lord Jesus. Such 
as had money gave to those who had none, and the disciples who had 
houses or lands, sold them and brought the money to the apostles, that they 
might give alms to the poor. Now there were among the disciples some poor 
widows, who complained that their share of the alms was not given them. Then 
the apostles called all the disciples together and said, It is not right that we 
should leave off preaching the gospel to attend to giving out alms ; therefore do 
you choose, from among yourselves, seven men -who are honest and prudent, and 
full of the Holy Spirit, and let them take the money, instead of us, and attend to 
this business. But we will spend all our time in preaching and praying to God. 

What the apostles said pleased the disciples, and they chose seven men who 
were called deacons. Their names were Stephen and Philip, Prochorus and 
Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas. These seven the disciples brought to 
the apostles, who prayed for them, that God would help them and give them 
^wisdom in attending to the work they were chosen for. When they had prayed 
for them they laid their hands on the heads of each one of them, for so the 
apostles used to do to those persons whom they sent out to work, and preach 
among the people. 

After this many were baptized, and great numbers of the priests believed. 
And Stephen, one of the seven deacons, not only waited on the poor, but he 
preached to the xoeople and did great miracles among them. Then some of the 
Jews who would not believe, being angry, took him before the council. There 
they brought false witnesses to accuse him, who said, This man ceaseth not to 
sxDeak wicked words against the temple, and God's law. And the high priest 
asked him, saying, Are these things so? 

Then Stephen answered the rulers of the council : he told them about' the 
wickedness of their fathers, ever since God had set them free from the Egyptians- 
And Stexohen said to them, Tou are like your fathers. Which of the prophets 
did they not persecute? They killed those "who were sent to tell them that 
Jesus was coming, and now you have slain that Just One himself. 

When the men in the council heard these words, they were filled with rage 
against Stephen, and gnashed on him with their teeth like wild beasts. But he, 
looking up toward heaven, saw a glorious light there, and Jesus standing at the 
right hand of God. And he said, I see the heavens opened, and Jesus standing 
at the right hand of God. Then they cried out with loud voices against him, 
and stopped their ears that they might not hear his -words; and they brought 
him out of the city and stoned him. While they were stoning him, he kneeled 
down on the ground and prayed, saying, Lord forgive them for this sin. 

Now -whenever a man was stoned by the Jews the persons who had borne 
witness against him always cast the first stone. And so the false -witnesses who 
had spoken against Stephen, cast the first stones at him. They took off their 
outer garments that they might use their arms more freely in doing this, and 
they laid those garments down on the ground by the feet of a young man named 
Saul, for him to keep them safe till they were ready to put them on again. 

294 




STEPHEN IS CAST OUT OF THE CITY AND ST< >XED. 



295 



\. r- VII.69. 



Saul is Converted and Preaches the Gospel. 



7VFTER Stephen* had been stoned by the Jews there was a great persecution 
>4A against the disciples. But good men took Stephen's dead body, and 
<» mourned over him, and buried him. As for Saul, the young man who 
had kept the clothes of the witnesses, he did much harm ; for he went into 
every house to find those who believed on Jesus, and when he had found them, 
he took them, both men and women, and put them in prison. Therefore the 
disciples fled out of Jerusalem to different parts of the land, and to other 
countries; but wherever they went, they preached the gospel to the people. 

After these things, Saul, being full of anger and hatred against the disciples, 
"went to the high priest at Jerusalem, and asked for letters to the rulers of the 
synagogues in the city of Damascus, that he might go to that city, and if he 
found any disciples there, bind them with fetters, whether they were men or 
women, and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished. And the high priest gave 
him the letters he asked for, and he started on his journey to Damascus. But 
when he came near that city, suddenly there shone around him a great light 
from heaven, and Jesus appeared to him. And Saul was afraid, and fell down on 
the ground. And he heard a voice, saying, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 
Saul said, Who art thou, Lord? The voice answered, I am Jesus, whom thou 
persecutest. It "was Jesus speaking to Saul, and he meant to say that when Saul 
persecuted his disciples, it "was the same as if he persecuted him. 

Then Saul, trembling and astonished, said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to 
do? The Lord said, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what 
thou must do. And the men -who were with him stood silent; they heard the 
voice but could not understand the "words that -were spoken. When Saul rose 
from the earth he could not see, for the light had blinded him; and those who 
were with him led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And he 
was three days without sight, and did neither eat nor drink. 

Then God told a good man "who lived at Damascus to go and put his 
hand on Saul. When he had done this, Saul's eyes "were opened and he could 
see ; and he rose up and -was baptized. After he had eaten some food, his strength 
came to him again. Then he stayed "with the disciples "who were in Damascus, 
and went into the synagogues and preached about Christ to the people, telling 
them that he was the Son of God. 

But all who heard him "were amazed, and said, Is not this the man "who 
persecuted those who believed, in Jerusalem, and came here that he might bind 
the disciples and carry them to the chief priests to be punished? Yet Saul 
preached more and more earnestly, and proved, out of the Scriptures, to the 
Jews at Damascus, that Jesus was the Saviour ; so that although they would not 
believe, they could not deny what he said. And after many days had passed, the 
Jews, being filled with anger, talked -with one another, about some "way of killing 
him. And they watched by day and by night, to take him when he should go 
out through the gates of the city. But the disciples heard of it, and took him 
by night, and let him down in a basket from a window that was over the wall, 
so that he escaped out of Damascus and afterward went to Jerusalem. 

296 




AS HE IS GOING TOWARD DAMASCUS, SAUL IS STRICKEN DOWN TO THE EARTH. 



297 



ACTS IX. 1. 



The Apostles Preach in the Cities and Convert Many. 



T 



T | fHE apostles went to many different cities and preached the gospel of Jesus 
Christ. The people of some of these cities rose up against the apostles 
and beat them, and put them in prison, but God helped them to escape, 
and gave them power to do miracles, so that great numbers, both of the Jews 
and the Gentiles, believed. 

One of the cities to which Paul went was Athens, the chief city of Greece. 
And as he passed through the streets he saw that the city was full of idols. 
This grieved him at his heart ; and he preached not only to the Jews in their 
synagogue, but he went every day to the market-place, and explained the gospel 
to all the people. And they took him and brought him to the place where the 
chief court of Athens met, on a hill called Mars 1 Hill, in the centre of the city. 
And Paul stood up, and said, Te men of Athens, I see that you think a great 
deal about the gods which you worship ; for as I walked through your city, 
looking at your tenrples, your altars, and your images, I saw an altar "with these 
words written on it : TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. That God, therefore, whom 
you worship without knowing him, I now want to tell you of. 

Then Paul told them that God, who made the world, and made them, did 
not live in temples such as they built, neither was he like the idols of gold, and 
silver, and stone, which were made by men's hands. While the people knew no 
better than to worship such idols, Paul said, God had not destroyed them for 
doing it, but had allowed them to live, and had given them food and clothing 
and everything that they needed. But now he told all men to worship idols no 
more, commanding them to repent of their sins and believe on Jesus. 

Another city in which Paul preached was Ephesus, and many persons who 
lived there, and who had been wicked, believed, and came to Paul confessing the 
evil they had done. Others who before that time had deceived the people, pre- 
tending they could work by magic, brought the books which taught about such 
things, and burned them where all the peoiole could see it. 

After teaching in many more places, Paul returned to Jerusalem. And he 
went up to the temple, but while he was there some Jews from Asia saw him 
and took hold of him, crying out to all the people, Men of Israel, help us. This 
is the man who teaches the people everywhere not to obey the law of Moses, 
nor to worship here ; and beside this, he has brought with him into the temple, 
Gentiles, who are not allowed to come in this holy place. Soon all the city was 
in an uproar, and the people ran together and took Paul and brought him 
away from the temple ; and immediately the gates leading into the courts of the 
temple were shut. As they were about to kill him, some person went and told 
the chief captain of the Roman soldiers, who stayed in a castle near the temple, 
to guard it and keep order there. 

Then the chief captain, taking some of his soldiers with him, ran down 
among the people, who, when they saw him coming, stopped beating Paul. 
And the chief captain took him from them and commanded him to be bound, 
and asked who he was and what he had done. And some of the multitude 
cried one thing, and some another, so that no one could tell what they said. 

298 




PAUL PREACHES AT EPHESUS. THE PEOPLE BURN THEIR BOOKS. 



299 



A.CTB XIX. 19. 



Paul is Saved from the People. He goes to Rome. 



WHEN the chief captain took Paul from the people, he gave orders that 
he should be taken into the castle. And when they came upon the 
stairs the soldiers carried Paul, to save him from the people, for they 
followed after him, crying out, Away with him ! kill him ! 

The chief captain, knowing that the Jews would surely kill Paul, and finding 
that he was a Roman, sent him to the Roman governor of Judea, who lived 
at the city of Cesarea, and whose name ■was Felix. Paul remained in prison at 
Cesarea for two years, until Festus, another governor came to take Felix's place, 
when he was taken out of prison and brought before his accusers. 

Now it was a law, that any Roman who was going to be put to death, might 
ask to be taken before Caesar, the emperor, for the emperor to say whether he 
should die, or be allowed to live; and as Paul knew that if he was taken to 
Jerusalem to be tried the Jews would kill him, he said to the governor, I ask to 
be taken before Caesar. Then Festus said, Hast thou asked to be taken before 
Caesar? Unto Caesar shalt thou go. 

When the time came for Paul to be sent to Rome, Festus gave him, and some 
other prisoners that were to go there, into the care of a centurion, who took 
soldiers to guard them by the way. The ship in "which they sailed was wrecked 
near the island of Melita. Paul, and all the ship's company reached the island 
safely. Paul staid on the island three months; then the centurion took him, and 
the other prisoners, into another ship and they continued on their journey. 

When they came to Rome, the centurion gave the prisoners into the care of 
the captain of the guard, but Paul was allowed to live in a house by himself 
with the soldier who watched over him : yet the chains that he had worn so long, 
were not taken off from him. 

After a time, many of the Jews who lived in Rome came to Paul's house and 
he taught them, explaining what the prophets had written about Jesus, from 
morning till evening. And some believed the things he spoke, and some believed 
not. While they differed among themselves, Paul told them, that the gospel 
"which the Jews refused to believe should be preached to the Gentiles, and the 
Gentiles, he said, would obey it. 

Paul stayed two whole years in Rome, and lived in a house -which he hired 
for himself. There he -welcomed all those persons who came to hear him, and 
he taught them about Jesus, -without fear, for no man tried to prevent him. 

The Bible does not tell us where Paul went after this, or how he died at 
last. But from accounts given in other books it is thought, that when he was 
set free at Rome he went back to Jerusalem, and then travelled through other 
countries preaching the gospel, till he came to Rome again. Not many years 
after this time, there was a great fire at Rome which continued burning for six 
or seven days. The people believed that their wicked emperor Nero had ordered 
the city set on fire. To save himself from the blame, Nero accused the Christians 
of doing it. Then the people rose up in great fury against the Christians, and 
put many of them to death. Among those who -were killed, we are told, were 
the apostles Peter and Paul. Paul, it is said, was beheaded, and Peter crucified. 

300 




THE PEOPLE RISE UP AGAINST PAUL. HE CLAIMS THE PRIVILEGE OF A R< 'MAN. 



301 



A. is XXII. 22. 




THE SHIP IN WHICH PAUL SAILS IS WRECKED NEAR THE ISLAND OP MELITA. 

3Q2 Acts XXVII. 41. 










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303 



acts xxvni. r. 



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